Student Aid Index
Understand What Your FAFSA Number Means
After you complete the FAFSA, you'll receive a Student Aid Index (SAI).
Your SAI is a number calculated using information provided on your FAFSA. Colleges use it, along with other information, to help determine your eligibility for need-based financial aid.
Your SAI is important—but it is often misunderstood.
Your SAI Is Not Your College Bill
Your SAI is not the amount your family is expected to pay for college.
It is also not the amount of financial aid you'll receive.
It's an index used in financial aid calculations.
How Is Your SAI Calculated?
Your SAI is calculated using a federal formula and information provided on your FAFSA.
Depending on your circumstances, the calculation may consider information such as:
- Student income and assets
- Parent income and assets for dependent students
- Spouse information for married students
- Family size
- Other information reported or transferred to the FAFSA
You don't calculate your SAI yourself. The FAFSA applies the federal formula to the information provided by you and your contributors.
Where Can You Find Your SAI?
After your FAFSA is submitted and processed, your SAI appears on your FAFSA Submission Summary.
The colleges you list on your FAFSA also receive the information needed to determine your financial aid eligibility.
Your FAFSA Submission Summary may provide estimates of federal student aid, but it is not a financial aid offer from a college.
What Does Your SAI Tell You?
Generally, a lower SAI indicates greater financial need.
SAI values can range from a negative number to a positive number. A negative SAI indicates a student has a higher level of financial need.
But don't try to interpret the number as a dollar amount your family needs to contribute.
For example:
An SAI of $8,000 does not mean your family will be required to pay $8,000.
The actual amount you'll need to cover depends on the cost of the school and the financial aid you're offered.
How Do Colleges Use Your SAI?
Your SAI Helps Determine Financial Need
For certain types of need-based financial aid, colleges use your SAI along with the school's Cost of Attendance (COA) and other applicable financial assistance to determine your financial need.
At its simplest, the calculation looks like:
Cost of Attendance
− Student Aid Index
− Other Financial Assistance, when applicable
= Financial Need
Because colleges have different costs, the same student can demonstrate different amounts of financial need at different schools.
Example
Imagine a student has an SAI of 8,000 and is comparing three colleges:
| College A | College B | College C | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost of Attendance (COA) | $50,000 | $27,000 | $18,000 |
| – Student Aid Index (SAI) | $18,000 | $18,000 | $18,000 |
| = Financial Need | $32,000 | $9,000 | $0 |
The student's SAI doesn't change simply because the college costs more or less.
What changes is the cost against which that SAI is being considered.
And importantly, these numbers do not mean each college will provide enough financial aid to cover the entire difference.
AI and Pell Grant Eligibility
Your SAI is also one factor used to determine eligibility for the Federal Pell Grant, but Pell Grant eligibility isn't determined simply by subtracting your SAI from the cost of attendance.
The federal formula considers SAI and other eligibility criteria when determining whether a student qualifies and the amount of the award.
Your FAFSA Submission Summary may provide an estimate of your Federal Pell Grant eligibility.
The college ultimately determines and communicates your actual financial aid eligibility.
Why Might Your SAI Change?
Your SAI is calculated each year using information from that year's FAFSA.
It may change because of changes in:
- Student or parent income
- Assets
- Family size
- Marital status
- Dependency status
- Other FAFSA information
That's one reason it's important to complete the FAFSA every year you want to receive financial aid.
What If Your Current Financial Situation Is Different?
The FAFSA uses specific financial information required for that aid year, but your family's circumstances may have changed.
For example, your family may have experienced:
- Job loss
- Reduced income
- Divorce or separation
- Death of a parent or spouse
- Significant medical expenses
- Other major financial changes
Don't change FAFSA information simply to reflect what you think your current situation should show.
Complete the FAFSA using the information requested, then contact the financial aid office at the college you're considering.
The financial aid office may be able to review special circumstances and determine whether an adjustment is appropriate.
Estimate Your SAI Before Filing
If you haven't completed the FAFSA yet, Federal Student Aid's Federal Student Aid Estimator can provide an estimate of your SAI and potential federal student aid eligibility.
The result is only an estimate. Your actual SAI is calculated after you complete the FAFSA.
Use the Federal Student Aid Estimator →
Put Your SAI in Perspective
When you receive your SAI, remember:
It isn't your bill.
It doesn't tell you exactly what your family will pay.
It isn't your financial aid offer.
Each college determines the aid it can offer you.
It's one part of the financial aid process.
Colleges use your SAI and other information to determine your eligibility for different types of aid.
The number that matters most when choosing a college is ultimately what you'll actually need to pay after scholarships and grants are considered.
Learn About College Costs →
Learn How to Compare Financial Aid Offers →
