Will new SAI scores be issued after FAFSA formula changes? Worried about aid package delays

my son got his sai in january too and we're totally confused. called the financial aid office at his top choice and they said theyre still waiting on the dept of education to release most of the application data?? like how did we get an SAI if they dont have our info yet?? none of this makes any sense

I work in a university financial aid office, and I can provide some clarity here. Yes, the Department of Education is making adjustments to the SAI formula, and there is a possibility that some students will receive updated SAI calculations. However, not everyone will be affected by these changes. Schools are still waiting to receive the complete student FAFSA data from the Department of Education. The initial SAI calculation you received was preliminary. Once schools receive your complete data, they will use the most up-to-date SAI calculations to prepare your aid package. Regarding timing: most institutions are working overtime to process aid packages as quickly as possible once they receive complete data. Realistically, many schools are planning to have aid packages ready by mid-April, though some may be later. Many colleges are extending their decision deadlines beyond May 1st specifically because of these FAFSA delays.

The main adjustments to the SAI formula involve fixing calculation errors that affected certain family situations - particularly regarding how sibling enrollment in college is factored in, treatment of small business assets, and some state tax allowances. The Department is trying to ensure the formula aligns with the congressional intent of the FAFSA Simplification Act. If your SAI does change, it could go up or down depending on your specific circumstances. However, most changes should be relatively modest for most families. If you're concerned, I'd recommend contacting each school's financial aid office directly once they receive your data to discuss your specific situation.

THIS WHOLE FAFSA ROLLOUT HAS BEEN A COMPLETE DISASTER!!! My kid is a high school senior and we STILL haven't been able to submit because of the parent contribution link issues. Meanwhile you've already got an SAI and are worried about changes?? At least you're in the system! Some of us can't even get that far because the website keeps glitching. And now they're changing the formula MID-CYCLE?? What kind of incompetent system is this?!

I spoke with a financial aid counselor yesterday about this exact issue. According to her, schools are expecting to receive the full student FAFSA data by mid-March and are planning to start sending finalized financial aid packages by early April in most cases. She mentioned that many colleges are aware of the May 1 deadline pressure and approximately 75% of schools have already announced extended decision deadlines (May 15 or even June 1). Regarding the SAI changes - they're primarily fixing errors in the original implementation rather than completely overhauling the formula. The adjustments mainly impact families with multiple students in college, certain small business owners, and families in high-tax states. If none of these apply to you, your SAI might not change significantly. I'd recommend checking each college's financial aid website or admission portal for their specific timeline updates.

I've been trying for WEEKS to get through to someone at Federal Student Aid to ask about this exact issue but can't get past the automated system. After getting disconnected 4 times, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an actual human at FSA in about 15 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ The agent I spoke with confirmed they're adjusting the SAI calculations and will be sending updated information to schools. She said they're aiming to have most data to colleges by March 18th, but some applications might take longer. She also mentioned that if your SAI does change, you'll receive an email notification.

The agent couldn't give specific numbers, but she said most adjustments would be relatively minor for the majority of families. The biggest changes affect families with multiple students in college since there was an error in how that was being calculated. If your situation involves multiple children in college simultaneously, you might see more significant changes. Otherwise, she indicated most updates would be smaller tweaks.

my daughters college just emailed saying theyre extending the deposit deadline to june 1st because of all the fafsa mess. might be worth checking if your schools are doing the same thing

Just to add - I've been tracking this issue closely, and currently about 60% of colleges have announced extended decision deadlines. The American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) has been collecting this information. Most extensions are to May 15, but some schools are going as late as June 1st. If your colleges haven't announced extensions yet, they probably will soon given how widespread the FAFSA issues have been. This is literally the most delayed FAFSA processing cycle in history.

Just got updated info from another FSA agent today - they're now saying all FAFSA data should be transmitted to colleges by March 22nd, and schools are being asked to prioritize processing aid packages for incoming freshmen first. Most schools are telling families to expect packages by mid-April. If you haven't heard about your specific colleges extending their decision deadlines, call their admissions offices directly - many are making these decisions on a rolling basis.