Will an SAI of 4400 qualify for Pell Grant in 2025-2026 FAFSA?

Yea u should def get pell with 4400 SAI. I got 5100 last year and got like $3800 in pell for the whole year. I think anything under 6000 gets at least some pell money

With an SAI of 4400, you will definitely qualify for a Pell Grant for the 2025-2026 award year, though not the maximum amount. The current Pell Grant eligibility extends to students with an SAI up to approximately 6656. Based on the most recent award charts and assuming they stay relatively consistent, an SAI of 4400 would likely qualify you for around $4,245-$4,695 in Pell Grant funding for the full academic year, depending on your enrollment status (full-time vs. part-time). Your community college's financial aid office will calculate the exact amount based on your specific enrollment.

lol im jealous my SAI was 8700 and i got nothing 😭 the system is so unfair sometimes

you WILL get Pell with 4400 but don't forget to check if your state has additional grants!!! i almost missed out on $2200 from my state grant because i didn't know i needed to fill out a separate form by March 1st!!! The deadline might be different in your state but definitely check!!!!!

Look into the Illinois MAP Grant - that's the big one for Illinois residents. I think the FAFSA automatically puts you in consideration for it but you have to file early because funds run out. With your SAI you should definitely get some MAP money too.

I've been dealing with exactly this situation. My SAI was 4520 so very close to yours, and I qualified for $4,445 in Pell for the year at full-time enrollment. But I've been trying to reach Federal Student Aid for weeks to confirm some details about my application and it's impossible to get through. I finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get a callback from them instead of waiting on hold forever. They have a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ. Saved me hours of frustration and I got all my questions answered about my Pell eligibility in like 15 minutes once they called me back.

One important thing to remember: your Pell Grant amount will be divided between semesters. So if you qualify for $4,500 for the year, that's typically $2,250 per semester. Also, make sure you understand the Lifetime Eligibility Used (LEU) for Pell - you have the equivalent of 6 years of full-time Pell Grant eligibility throughout your education, so use it wisely if you're planning to transfer to a 4-year institution later.

Yes, the 6-year (or 600% Lifetime Eligibility Used) limit for Pell Grants is still in effect. There were some discussions about changing it in Congress, but no legislation has passed to modify this limit yet. You can check your current LEU percentage on your StudentAid.gov account.

UPDATE: I just heard back from my school's financial aid office. They confirmed I'll be getting $4,495 in Pell Grant for the full academic year ($2,247.50 per semester). They also said I qualified for the Illinois MAP Grant for about $1,800 per semester! I'm so relieved - this covers almost all of my tuition. Thanks everyone for your help!

Congratulations Jamal! That's fantastic news about getting both the Pell Grant and the MAP Grant - what a relief that must be! Your story is really encouraging for other students in similar situations. It's great that you submitted your FAFSA early in October, which definitely helped with the MAP Grant funding. Thanks for sharing the update - it's always nice to see these success stories in the community!

This is such an inspiring thread to read as someone new to the FAFSA process! I'm also an independent student trying to navigate all this for the first time, and seeing Jamal's success story with an SAI similar to what I might expect is really encouraging. The information about state grants is particularly helpful - I had no idea there were additional funding sources beyond federal aid. Does anyone know if there's a comprehensive resource that lists all the different state and local grants available? I want to make sure I'm not missing out on any opportunities like Jamal almost did initially.

This is such a helpful thread! As someone who's been helping family members navigate FAFSA for a few years now, I can confirm that with an SAI of 4400, you're definitely in good shape for Pell Grant funding. What I always tell people is to also look into work-study opportunities at your community college - with your SAI, you'll likely qualify and it can be a great way to earn some extra money while gaining relevant work experience on campus. Also, since you're working full-time while attending school, make sure to keep track of any education-related expenses (books, supplies, etc.) for tax purposes - you might be eligible for education tax credits too!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm so grateful to find this detailed discussion! I'm in a very similar situation to Jamal - independent student, working while attending community college, and completely new to the financial aid process. Reading through everyone's experiences and advice has been incredibly enlightening. The breakdown of SAI ranges and Pell Grant amounts, the information about state grants (had no idea these existed!), and the practical tips about work-study and tax credits are exactly what I needed to hear. It's reassuring to see that the system can work for students like us, and the emphasis on applying early and checking all available resources is noted. Thank you all for sharing your knowledge and experiences - this community is such a valuable resource for navigating these complex processes!