Why did my son's FAFSA SAI drop from 1400 to 0 after divorce? Single parent teacher confused

Yes, divorce can ABSOLUTELY cause that kind of change in your SAI! When I got divorced, my daughter's number dropped by like 3000 points. It's because they're only counting YOUR income now instead of both parents. As a teacher (I'm assuming public school), your income alone probably puts you in a much lower bracket for FAFSA calculations. The 0 SAI means your son will get maximum aid which is AWESOME! Don't question it - just be thankful lol

congrats on the 0 SAI! thats basically the golden ticket for financial aid. my brother got that last year and they threw money at him like crazy. not just pell but also extra institutional grants from his school. you should tell your son to check with his financial aid office because they might have additional funds for students with 0 SAI

This is completely normal after a divorce. The FAFSA calculation changed significantly in your case for a few key reasons: 1. Only one parent's income is now being considered (yours) 2. As a teacher, your income likely falls below the SAI threshold for a 0 calculation under the new FAFSA formula 3. The recent FAFSA Simplification Act actually expanded Pell Grant eligibility, particularly for single parents A 0 SAI essentially means your son qualifies for maximum need-based aid including the full Pell Grant allocation ($7,395 for 2025-2026). Additionally, this will likely qualify him for institutional aid at many schools. This isn't an error - it's working exactly as designed to provide more support to families in your situation.

Ugh the fafsa system is so stupid and unfair!!!! My parents are TOGETHER and both work normal jobs and my SAI is like 8000 even though we're barely making ends meet. Meanwhile my friend's parents are divorced and she gets a 0 SAI even though her dad makes WAY more than both my parents combined! But since her mom has custody and doesn't make much, she gets all this free money! The system REWARDS divorce I swear. (no offense to you OP, not saying you got divorced for FAFSA lol but the system is messed up

Financial aid professional here - yes, your divorce is almost certainly the reason for the dramatic SAI change. The current FAFSA formula considers the household income of the parent with whom the student lived more during the 12 months prior to filing. As a single teacher supporting a college student, you likely fall into a much lower contribution category. A couple technical details: 1. The income protection allowance is higher for single-parent households 2. Teacher salaries often fall within ranges that qualify for 0 SAI under current guidelines 3. The simplified needs test may now apply to you (fewer assets counted) This means your son should qualify for: - Maximum Pell Grant - Full eligibility for need-based institutional aid - Work-study priority - Subsidized federal loans (interest covered while in school) This is all legitimate and not an error - the system is working as designed in your case.

I've been trying to get through to someone at the Federal Student Aid office for WEEKS to ask exactly this kind of question about my daughter's SAI calculation! They never answer and the website is useless for specific situations like this. Has anyone found a way to actually TALK to a human at FSA? I feel like I'm losing my mind with these endless hold times.

Update: I spoke with my son's financial aid counselor at school, and they confirmed everything you all said! The divorce definitely impacted our SAI calculation, plus apparently the new FAFSA formula gives additional allowances for single parents. She also mentioned my son will likely qualify for additional institutional grants now. Thank you everyone for the reassurance and advice!

My brothers SAI went up this year even tho nothing changed with our parents income?? The financial aid system makes literally no sense sometimes. congrats on your good luck tho!

Congratulations on the 0 SAI! As someone who went through a similar situation a few years ago, I can tell you that divorce absolutely can cause that dramatic of a change. When you're married, FAFSA considers both parents' incomes even if one isn't contributing to college costs. Now that you're divorced and filing as the custodial parent, they're only looking at your teacher salary. The 0 SAI is legitimate and actually pretty common for single parents in education. My sister is a single mom who teaches elementary school and her daughter has had a 0 SAI for three years running. Don't worry about them coming back to correct an "error" - this is exactly how the system is supposed to work to help families like yours afford college! Make sure your son applies for as many need-based scholarships as possible too, because that 0 SAI will make him eligible for a lot of additional funding opportunities.

As a fellow single parent who went through divorce recently, I just wanted to say congratulations and don't second-guess this! I know it feels too good to be true, but the system is actually designed to help families in our situation. My daughter's SAI dropped from around 2000 to 0 after my divorce was finalized, and it's been consistent for two years now. The difference it made in her aid package was incredible - not just the full Pell Grant, but her school also offered additional institutional grants that we never would have qualified for before. It really does make a huge difference when they're only looking at one parent's income, especially on a teacher's salary. Enjoy this blessing and don't worry about errors - you've been through enough stress with the divorce, you deserve this financial relief for your son's education!