Will my daughter get more financial aid even with low SAI and existing scholarship?

imo if she got a pell grant and her SAI is low then yes, she should get more aid when the college gets her FAFSA! My son had similar situation last year and ended up getting extra institutional grants once they processed his complete fin aid package. Did you submit the CSS Profile too? Some schools require both for institutional aid. Make sure u call the financial aid office ASAP and confirm they have everything they need.

I work in college financial aid and can clarify some things. A low SAI (Student Aid Index) does typically qualify students for more need-based aid, but it varies greatly by institution. What many families don't realize is that schools offer aid in stages: 1. Merit scholarships (based on academics, usually offered early) 2. Federal aid (Pell Grants, loans) after FAFSA processing 3. Institutional aid (college's own grants) after reviewing complete financial picture The scholarship she already received is likely merit-based and unrelated to financial need. Once the school processes your FAFSA and confirms the low SAI, they will likely offer additional need-based aid if they have it available. Not all schools meet 100% of demonstrated need, though.

I've been through this process 3 times with my kids. Your daughter receiving a scholarship before they had your FAFSA is normal - that's their merit scholarship (based on academics). With a low SAI and Pell eligibility, she will likely receive additional need-based aid, but it varies WIDELY by school. Some schools are very generous with need-based aid, others barely offer any regardless of your SAI. Call the financial aid office and ask these specific questions: 1. Have they received her FAFSA? 2. When will they send her complete financial aid package? 3. Do they require any additional forms (like the CSS Profile)? 4. What is their process for financial aid appeals if the package isn't enough? Don't wait on this - aid packages can take time to process and some schools have limited institutional funding that gets distributed first-come-first-served.

hav u checked on the student aid website yet?? cuz you said "temporary" SAI which makes me think maybe ur looking at a calculation that's not final?? my daughter's changed like three times before it was official lol

As someone who went through this total nightmare last year, I'll save you HOURS of frustration. The financial aid offices are IMPOSSIBLE to reach right now - I spent literally 3 weeks trying to get through to my son's college to ask similar questions. I finally used a service called Claimyr to connect with the financial aid office. They helped me skip the wait times and I actually got through to a real person who could help. Their site is claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ After we actually reached a human, we found out they were missing documents we never knew we needed to submit, and they were able to reevaluate his aid package. Seriously saved us thousands in the end.

Did the college tell you that they didn't have your FAFSA? Or are you just assuming that because they made the scholarship offer? Because sometimes they'll make merit offers before they finish processing all the financial aid. A low SAI should definitely help with more need-based aid, but NOT ALL SCHOOLS MEET FULL NEED!!!!!! This is super important to understand. Even with a $0 SAI, many schools will still leave you with a huge gap between your aid package and the actual cost. Also, has your daughter looked into outside scholarships? My son got almost $8k from local organizations that really helped fill the gap.

its impossible to know without knowing which college lol. some schools give great aid and some are terrible even with identical SAI scores

Since you mentioned you're new to this process, here's what a "low SAI" actually means: The Student Aid Index replaces the old Expected Family Contribution (EFC) and is a number that colleges use to determine how much financial need you have. A lower number means greater financial need. With a low SAI and Pell Grant eligibility, your daughter would typically qualify for more need-based aid at most institutions. However, each college has a different financial aid budget and philosophy. Some meet 100% of demonstrated need, others might meet only 60-70%. I strongly recommend contacting the financial aid office directly and asking specifically: "With our SAI of [your number], what additional need-based aid might my daughter qualify for beyond the scholarship and Pell Grant already offered?" This direct approach often gets you the most accurate information.

also check if they have a net price calculator on their website! most colleges have them and u can put in ur income info and it gives u a rough estimate of what aid u might get