Where to find my son's FAFSA SAI number after processing?
I helped my son submit his FAFSA application on December 1st, and the studentaid.gov website shows it's been processed. Great! But now I can't figure out where to actually see his SAI number. I've clicked through every tab and page I can find, but the SAI isn't showing up anywhere. Does anyone know exactly where this number is displayed once processing is complete? I need it for some scholarship applications he's working on that specifically ask for the SAI. Thanks in advance for any help!
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Debra Bai
The SAI (Student Aid Index) should be visible in the Student Aid Report (SAR). Log into the studentaid.gov account, and on the dashboard, look for "View your Student Aid Report (SAR)". Click that link, and near the top of the report you'll see the SAI number. It's usually clearly labeled as "Student Aid Index" with the number right next to it.
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KaiEsmeralda
•Thank you! I looked there already but didn't see it. Could it be because we just completed it on the 1st and maybe it's still finalizing even though it says "processed"? How long after submission did yours take to show the actual SAI?
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Gabriel Freeman
sometimes it says processed but theres still a lag before the SAI shows up. give it like 3-5 more days. happened with my daughters FAFSA too
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KaiEsmeralda
•That's reassuring to hear. I'll check back in a few days then. Just getting anxious because one of his scholarship deadlines is coming up soon!
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Laura Lopez
When my son's FAFSA was processed, the SAI wasn't immediately visible either, even though it said "processed." But what worked for me was downloading the full PDF version of the SAR. The number was in there even when it wasn't showing up on the regular online view. On the dashboard where you see your FAFSA status, there should be an option to download the full report as a PDF. The SAI should be prominently displayed near the top of that document.
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KaiEsmeralda
•I'll try downloading the PDF right now! Thank you so much for this suggestion. Hopefully it's there.
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Victoria Brown
•This is how I found mine too! The website is so confusing sometimes with where they put important information.
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Samuel Robinson
Im going through this EXACT same thing!!! Been trying to find my daughters SAI for TWO WEEKS! The system is so messed up this year. I've called FSA like 40 times and keep getting disconnected or waiting forever. The website says processed but NO SAI anywhere!!! Even tried the PDF trick someone mentioned and still nothing. This is making me CRAZY!!! She's going to miss scholarship deadlines because of this stupid system!!!
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Camila Castillo
•I had the same frustration trying to get through to FSA about missing SAI numbers. After dozens of disconnected calls, I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to connect with an agent. They have this service that holds your place in line and calls you when an agent is available. Saved me hours of redial hell. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ that shows how it works. The agent I finally spoke with explained that there's a secondary processing stage that can take up to 10 business days before the SAI appears, even when the main status shows as processed.
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Brianna Muhammad
am i the only one who thinks its weird that they make it so hard to find ur own sai number? like its OUR information but we gotta jump through hoops to see it lol
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Samuel Robinson
•YESSS!!!! It's absolutely RIDICULOUS! And then schools and scholarships demand we provide this number by certain deadlines but the system doesn't even show it to us! Make it make sense!
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KaiEsmeralda
Update: I tried downloading the PDF as suggested, but the SAI still isn't there. I'm going to give it a few more days as someone suggested. If it's still not showing up by Friday, I'll try reaching out to them directly. Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions!
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Laura Lopez
•One more thing to try - sometimes checking the actual confirmation page (not just the dashboard status) can show additional information. From the dashboard, click on "View Submitted Applications" then find the 2025-2026 application and click on "View Confirmation Page". Some people have reported finding the SAI there when it wasn't showing elsewhere.
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KaiEsmeralda
SUCCESS! I found it on the confirmation page! Thank you all so much for your help. For anyone else looking, the SAI number wasn't on the main dashboard or even in the downloaded PDF of the SAR, but it was on the confirmation page under "View Submitted Applications" as suggested. It's labeled very clearly there as "Student Aid Index (SAI): [number]". What a relief!
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Victoria Brown
•Thanks for coming back and sharing where you found it! That'll help others looking for the same thing 👍
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Debra Bai
•Glad you found it! I should have mentioned the confirmation page as well - with the new FAFSA system for 2025-2026, they've moved some information around compared to previous years. If you need to access it frequently, I recommend bookmarking that specific confirmation page for easy reference.
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