Why is my SAI lower than my daughter's but only I qualify for Pell Grant?

SAI calculations r super confusing! But usually different ppl in same household can get totally different amounts. age plays factor too. i think over 24 get different calculation?

The Pell Grant eligibility gets calculated differently based on your dependency status and educational level. Since you're an independent student (over 24) and your daughter is a dependent student (under 24, unless she meets other independence criteria), the formulas used are completely different. Independent students generally have lower SAI thresholds for Pell eligibility because the calculation only includes your income/assets, while your daughter's calculation includes your household income plus her own. Also check if your daughter is undergraduate vs you possibly being in a graduate program - Pell is only for undergrad students.

Something similar happened with me and my son last year!!! Except opposite - he got Pell and I didn't even though I had lower income. Drove me CRAZY. Turns out he had checked a box about having dependents (his daughter/my granddaughter) which changed his whole calculation.

Your confusion is totally understandable! This is actually a common scenario with parent/child students. The FAFSA formula applies different calculations based on status: 1. For dependent students (like your daughter), both the parent AND student income/assets are counted in the calculation 2. For independent students (like you), only your own income/assets count So even though your household income is the same, your daughter's calculation includes: - Your income/assets (as parent) - PLUS her own income/assets (as student) While yours only includes your income/assets. Additionally, there are different income protection allowances - independent students (especially those with dependents) get higher allowances before their income starts counting against them. That's why your SAI is lower despite potentially higher income.

The FAFSA system is COMPLETELY RIGGED!!! They punish families trying to get education. My nephew got denied aid too even though his parents make nothing. The whole system is designed to force people into loans!!!!

have u called the fsa hotline to ask? they can explain ur specific situation

I work in financial aid and see this situation frequently. To fully understand what's happening, you need to look at both SAI calculations. The key differences: 1. Income Protection Allowance: As an independent student, you get a higher allowance (around $11,860 for single independent students) before income starts counting against you. Your daughter as a dependent student has a much lower protection amount (around $7,040). 2. Asset Protection Allowance: This also varies by dependency status and age. At 41, your APA is higher than your daughter's. 3. Assessment Rates: Your income gets assessed at a lower rate (around 50%) while a dependent student's parental income can be assessed up to 47% PLUS the student's own income is assessed at 50%. This creates the counterintuitive situation where you qualify for Pell but she doesn't. For 2025-2026, the maximum SAI to receive any Pell is around $6,656. You're under that threshold, but she's over it. I'd recommend contacting her school's financial aid office directly to request a professional judgment review, especially if your financial situation has changed recently.

I had a similar issue trying to reach FSA for my daughter's verification issue. After four failed attempts and hours of waiting, I used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through. They helped me skip the wait time and actually talk to someone at FSA who explained our SAI calculation. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ that shows how it works. It was the only way I finally got answers about why my son qualified for Pell but my daughter didn't, even with similar SAIs.

did u check if maybe she put something wrong on her application? my brother accidently said he had a degree already and got denied for everything lol

UPDATE: I think we finally figured it out! After reviewing both applications again, we realized my daughter accidentally reported her 529 college savings account (about $18,000) as HER asset instead of MY asset. Because student assets are assessed at a much higher rate (20% vs 5% for parents), this alone added about $2,700 to her SAI! The financial aid office said we can submit a correction and they'll recalculate her eligibility. Thank you everyone for your help!

Wow, what a journey! This thread is such a perfect example of why the FAFSA system is so confusing for families. I'm a newcomer here but deal with similar financial aid questions all the time. The 529 asset reporting mistake is SO common - I've seen families lose thousands in aid eligibility because of that exact error. It's crazy that where you report $18K can make such a huge difference in aid calculations. Really glad you figured it out before it was too late! For anyone else reading this, always double-check asset ownership reporting - it's one of the biggest gotchas in the FAFSA process.

This whole thread is such a valuable resource! As someone new to this community, I'm amazed at how helpful everyone has been in breaking down these complex FAFSA calculations. The 529 asset reporting issue that Melody discovered really highlights how critical it is to understand these details. I've been helping friends navigate financial aid for years, and the dependent vs independent student calculation differences are probably the most confusing aspect of the whole process. It's so counterintuitive that claiming someone as a dependent can actually hurt their aid eligibility in some cases. Thanks to everyone who shared their expertise here - this is exactly the kind of community support that makes such a difference for families trying to afford education!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm really impressed by how this conversation evolved from confusion to solution! The 529 asset reporting mistake is such a perfect example of how the smallest details can have massive impacts on financial aid. What really strikes me is how the FAFSA system seems designed to trip up families - like why wouldn't they build in warnings when you're about to make a costly error like reporting a parent-owned 529 as a student asset? It's almost like they expect everyone to be financial aid experts from day one. This thread should be required reading for anyone filling out their first FAFSA. The collaborative problem-solving here shows how valuable community knowledge can be when navigating these complex systems!

Just joined this community and wow, what an incredible learning experience this thread has been! As someone who's about to help my younger sibling navigate their first FAFSA, I had no idea there were so many hidden pitfalls that could dramatically impact aid eligibility. The 529 asset reporting discovery is absolutely mind-blowing - the fact that a simple categorization mistake could cost thousands in aid is both eye-opening and terrifying. What really impresses me is how this community rallied together to solve what seemed like an impossible puzzle. From Luis Johnson's technical breakdown of the assessment rates to everyone's collaborative detective work that led to finding the actual issue, this is exactly the kind of support system that families need when dealing with these complex financial aid calculations. I'm bookmarking this entire conversation as a reference guide. Thank you all for showing how powerful community knowledge can be in navigating these bureaucratic mazes!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm absolutely fascinated by how this thread unfolded! The detective work everyone did to solve Melody's FAFSA puzzle is incredible. What really strikes me is how that one 529 asset reporting mistake - something that seems like such a minor detail - ended up being the key to potentially thousands of dollars in aid eligibility. It's honestly terrifying how easy it is to make these costly errors without even knowing it. The collaborative problem-solving here really showcases the power of community knowledge. From Luis's technical breakdown of assessment rates to Eva's insights about dependency status, and everyone's persistent troubleshooting, this thread is like a masterclass in FAFSA navigation. I'm definitely saving this as a reference guide for when I help family members with their applications. Thank you all for creating such a supportive environment where complex financial aid mysteries can actually get solved!

As someone new to this community, I'm blown away by how this thread turned into such an incredible learning resource! Watching everyone work together to solve Melody's FAFSA mystery was like seeing a masterclass in financial aid troubleshooting unfold in real time. That 529 asset reporting discovery is absolutely crucial - the fact that one checkbox mistake could potentially cost thousands in aid eligibility really highlights how treacherous the FAFSA process can be for families. What I find most valuable is how this conversation shows the importance of community knowledge and persistence when dealing with these complex systems. From the technical breakdowns of assessment rates to the practical advice about contacting financial aid offices, this thread covers so many essential FAFSA concepts that every family should understand. I'm definitely bookmarking this entire discussion as a reference guide. Thank you all for demonstrating how collaborative problem-solving can turn confusion into clarity!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm absolutely amazed by this entire thread! What started as Melody's frustrating FAFSA mystery turned into such an incredible collaborative learning experience. The discovery that the 529 plan was incorrectly reported as the student's asset instead of the parent's asset is such a perfect example of how one small mistake can have massive financial consequences. It's honestly shocking that a simple checkbox error could potentially cost thousands in Pell Grant eligibility - the FAFSA system really doesn't give families much room for error! What I find most impressive is how everyone here worked together like financial aid detectives, from Luis's technical breakdown of assessment rates to Eva's insights about dependency status, until the real culprit was found. This thread should be required reading for anyone filling out their first FAFSA. The collaborative problem-solving and willingness to help shown by this community gives me so much confidence that there are knowledgeable people ready to help navigate these complex systems. Thank you all for turning what could have been a costly mistake into a valuable learning experience for everyone!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm absolutely fascinated by how this thread turned from frustration into such an incredible success story! Melody's journey from confusion to solution really showcases both the complexity of the FAFSA system and the power of community knowledge. That 529 asset reporting mistake is such a perfect example of how seemingly minor details can have massive financial consequences - it's honestly terrifying that one checkbox error could potentially cost thousands in aid eligibility! What really impresses me is how everyone here approached this like a collaborative puzzle, with Luis providing those detailed technical breakdowns and Eva catching the dependency status nuances, all working together until the real issue was uncovered. This thread should be bookmarked by every family navigating FAFSA for the first time. The fact that the system doesn't warn you when you're about to make these costly mistakes really highlights why having a supportive community like this is so essential. Thank you all for turning what could have been a devastating error into such a valuable learning experience for everyone!