Who to contact when FAFSA SAI score is incorrect? Need to get it fixed ASAP

i had something similar happen lmao. turns out they counted my grandmas retirement withdrawal twice or something?? took like 3 weeks to fix but yeah you need to call the federal student aid people not your school

This happened to me too! It's absolutely infuriating. I called the main FSA helpline at 1-800-433-3243 and waited 2.5 HOURS before getting disconnected. Then I tried again, waited another hour, and finally got someone who barely understood what I was saying about the SAI calculation being wrong. They just told me to submit a correction online, which I already tried and it didn't change anything because the system doesn't recognize it as an "error" - it's their CALCULATION that's wrong! Have you tried submitting a formal appeal through your school's financial aid office? That's my next step since FSA was useless.

To get your SAI corrected, you need to identify exactly where the calculation error occurred. There are several possibilities: 1. Verification - You might be selected for verification, which means you need to provide additional documentation to confirm your information. 2. Professional Judgment - If your financial situation has changed (like your dad's job change), you can request a professional judgment review from your school's financial aid office. 3. Calculation Error - If there's an actual calculation error by the Department of Education, you'll need to speak with FSA directly. I recommend checking your SAR (Student Aid Report) carefully to look for any unusual flags or codes. Then call FSA and specifically ask for the "SAI Calculation Review Department" - while there's not officially a department with this exact name, using this terminology will often get you to the right people who handle these issues.

Just went thru this last month! Check if there's a duplicate asset or income entry somewhere. For me they somehow counted my dad's 401k as both retirement AND as an investment account lol. The fix was to submit a correction on studentaid.gov but I had to specifically mark which fields needed review.

I had success getting my SAI fixed by using Claimyr to reach an actual FSA agent. I was getting disconnected and facing crazy wait times too, but Claimyr helped me skip the wait and get to an agent who actually knew what they were doing. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ that shows how it works. The agent was able to review my application and found that the system had incorrectly categorized some of our family assets, which was throwing off the whole calculation.

There's a common error in the 2025-2026 FAFSA system that's affecting many applicants' SAI calculations. When parental income decreases but other factors like assets or siblings in college change even slightly, the algorithm can sometimes apply incorrect weights to these factors. You have three options: 1. Submit a correction through studentaid.gov and specifically note in the comments section that you believe there's an SAI calculation error. Include the specific details of your income change. 2. Contact the Federal Student Aid Information Center directly at 1-800-433-3243. Ask for a "manual SAI calculation review" - this specific language matters. 3. Request a professional judgment review through your school's financial aid office. Bring documentation of your father's income change. While option #1 is the official process, in my experience as a financial aid consultant, options #2 and #3 often get faster results. The key is persistence and clear documentation.

Just to follow up on what others have mentioned - I've seen several cases where the SAI calculation was incorrect due to the system mishandling retirement accounts or incorrectly calculating the Asset Protection Allowance. Double-check these specific areas in your application. And when you call the FSA Information Center, be sure to mention that you've already verified all information is correct and believe there's a specific calculation error with your SAI. This helps them route you to the right department.

Update on my situation - I FINALLY got it fixed after THREE separate calls to FSA. The trick was asking for a "recalculation review" and being super specific about which section of the SAI formula I thought was wrong. They transferred me to someone who actually knew what they were talking about. Still took 2 weeks for the change to process though, so start this ASAP if your school has deadlines coming up!

call them and say "I need a manager who specializes in SAI calculation errors" thats what i did lol. the first person will try to tell you they can help but they CANT!! they'll just waste your time. be nice but firm that you need a specialist. took me 5 calls but finally got it fixed and my school had to adjust my aid package after

After reviewing all the advice here, I think you've got a good plan of action. To summarize what seems to work best: 1. Identify the specific calculation error (which it seems you have with the 401k rollover issue) 2. Call FSA and request a specialist who handles SAI calculation reviews 3. Be prepared with documentation proving the error 4. Follow up with your school once the SAI is corrected Don't forget to take detailed notes during every call including representative names and call reference numbers. This creates a paper trail that can help if you need to escalate further.

I went through this exact same situation last year and it was incredibly frustrating! In my case, the SAI calculation error was due to the system incorrectly applying the simplified needs test. What helped me was creating a detailed spreadsheet comparing my expected SAI calculation (using the federal formula) versus what the system generated, then highlighting the specific discrepancies. When I called FSA, I had this comparison ready and could point to exactly where their calculation went wrong. The representative was able to see the issue immediately and put in a correction request that got processed within 10 days. Since you've already identified the 401k rollover issue, you're ahead of where I was! Just make sure you have documentation showing it was a rollover (not new income) when you call. Good luck - you've got this!

I'm dealing with a similar SAI calculation issue right now! Reading through all these responses has been super helpful. I just wanted to add that when you do call FSA, try to call early in the morning (like 8-9 AM) - I've found the wait times are usually shorter then and you're more likely to get someone who hasn't been dealing with frustrated callers all day. Also, if the first person you talk to seems unsure about SAI calculation errors, politely ask to be transferred to someone who specializes in these issues. Don't let them just tell you to submit another correction online if you've already done that. The 401k rollover being counted as income is definitely something they should be able to fix once you get to the right person. Hope you get this sorted out quickly - financial aid deadlines are stressful enough without having to deal with calculation errors!

I'm going through something very similar right now and this thread has been incredibly helpful! My SAI went up by almost 3,000 points even though my family's income dropped significantly due to my mom's reduced hours at work. Based on what everyone's shared here, I'm going to try calling FSA first thing Monday morning and specifically ask for a "SAI calculation review specialist." I've already gone through my application line by line and I think the issue might be with how they categorized some of our savings accounts. Has anyone had success getting their school to hold off on finalizing aid packages while waiting for the SAI correction to process? I'm worried my school is going to lock in my aid before FSA fixes the calculation error.

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm in a similar situation where my SAI increased dramatically despite our family income dropping. Reading everyone's experiences has given me a much clearer roadmap for getting this fixed. I wanted to add one thing that might help others - if you're documenting a 401k rollover issue like the original poster found, make sure you have the 1099-R form that shows the rollover code. The IRS uses specific codes to indicate rollovers versus distributions, and having that documentation ready when you call FSA can speed up the process significantly. Also, for anyone else dealing with this - don't give up after the first call! It seems like persistence is key based on everyone's experiences here. I'm planning to start my calls tomorrow morning and will keep detailed notes of every conversation. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - it's made this whole process feel much less overwhelming!

I'm dealing with a very similar issue right now! My SAI jumped by over 2,000 points even though our family situation actually got worse this year. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly eye-opening - I had no idea there were so many common calculation errors happening with the 2025-2026 FAFSA. I think the most helpful advice here is to be really specific when calling FSA about what type of review you need. Instead of just saying "my SAI is wrong," asking for a "SAI calculation review" or "recalculation review" seems to get you to the right people much faster. For anyone else following this thread, I'd also recommend checking your Student Aid Report really carefully for any unusual codes or flags before calling. Sometimes there are verification requirements or other issues that aren't immediately obvious but could be affecting your calculation. Good luck to everyone dealing with this - it's frustrating but clearly fixable based on the success stories shared here!

I'm so glad I found this thread! I'm in the exact same boat - my SAI went up by almost 3,500 points even though my family's income dropped by over $20,000 this year due to my mom losing her job. I've been going in circles with my financial aid office and FSA for weeks now. Reading through everyone's experiences has been incredibly helpful. I think my issue might be similar to what others have mentioned about retirement accounts being miscategorized. My dad moved his 401k to a new employer and I'm wondering if the system counted that transfer as income. I'm going to try calling FSA tomorrow morning at 8 AM sharp and specifically ask for a "SAI calculation review specialist" like several people recommended. I've got all our tax documents and the 1099-R form ready to go. Thank you to everyone who shared their stories and specific advice - this thread has given me so much hope that this can actually be fixed! I'll update once I hopefully get through to someone who can help.