When you file the FAFSA, it produces a number called the Student Aid Index, or SAI. It replaced the old Expected Family Contribution (EFC), and it is the figure colleges use to decide how much need-based aid you qualify for.
The SAI is an estimate of what your family can contribute toward one year of college, based on income, assets, and household details. It is not a bill and it is not what you will pay. Colleges subtract your SAI from their cost of attendance to find your financial need, then build an aid package toward that need.
The lower your SAI, the more need-based aid you generally qualify for. Unlike the old EFC, the SAI can go as low as negative $1,500, which better reflects families with the greatest need.
File the FAFSA to get your real SAI; that is the only official number. For a rough preview, use our SAI estimator, and for the authoritative figure use the free Federal Student Aid Estimator. If your finances changed after filing, you can ask for a professional-judgment review to update the inputs behind your SAI.
If your situation changed, you can appeal. We draft it around your school's own policy.
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