Decoding FAFSA: What’s a good SAI?

Hey folks! After putting in all my information into the FAFSA form, it spat out an SAI number for me. Is there such a thing as a 'good' or 'high' SAI? Does having a specific SAI number affect my chances of getting more aid?

The Student Aid Index (SAI), which replaced the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) in the FAFSA process, is an indicator of your family's financial capacity to contribute to your college costs. Essentially, it's a number calculated from the financial information provided in your FAFSA that colleges use to determine how much federal student aid you're eligible for.

To learn more about SAI, and how it differs from EFC, I'd check out this blog post from CollegeVine: https://blog.collegevine.com/sai-vs-efc

SAI operates on a scale where a lower value represents a higher need for financial assistance. The SAI can be as low as -1,500—the closer a student's SAI is to this lower bound, the larger the financial need demonstrated, and consequently, the more aid one might receive. Note that even that relatively high SAIs do not necessarily mean little to no aid—individual colleges may still offer internal grants or scholarships based on other criteria in your application.

Remember with FASFA, your aid package is a mix of grants, work-study funds, and loans. So, a smaller SAI generally means a larger portion of your aid will be given as free money (grants) and work-study, while a larger SAI means more of the aid might be in forms of loans.

Ultimately, it is critical to fill out the FAFSA form correctly to ensure that your SAI is a true reflection of your family's financial standing. If you're not happy with your SAI, you might consider reviewing your application for potential errors or updating any noticeable changes in your family's financial situation.

Keep in mind that the results from FAFSA are not final and can be appealed through a process called professional judgement at your university's financial aid office. And there are also scholarships you can apply for that aren't determined solely by financial need, to supplement the aid package you receive based on the FAFSA.

If you have any questions about your aid eligibility, I'd contact the financial aid offices of the schools you're considering directly, to ensure you have the most accurate and up-to-date information.

Good luck!