The FAFSA software might have produced the wrong SAI. Alternatively, your client could have caused that discrepancy by inputting the wrong figures with either method.

Once the FAFSA is completed, they are assigned an “SAI,” which stands for Student Aid Index. This number is sent to each of the colleges, which use it to create an aid offer.

More: How Riverside County high schoolers can gain direct admission to Cal State FAFSA 2025-26 is delayed. Here's what that means for California students Around this time of year, students often ...

If this current version of the FAFSA continues to work as smoothly as it appears to be working now, it’s “going to be a faster process for most students” than in previous years, Keller said.

As mentioned, the 2025-2026 FAFSA is rolling out in phases, so the Department of Education can troubleshoot along the way. "We're testing a complete FAFSA system.

As outlined above, if the plan is owned by the beneficiary’s parent, then 5.64% of the account’s value is considered in the SAI, which determines a student’s financial aid eligibility on the ...

And this week marks the beginning of a crucial new chapter in the continuing saga of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, known as the FAFSA.

The FAFSA website is back online and accepting financial aid applications for the 2025-26 school year. Applicants can start a new application, edit an existing one and complete the submission.

The FAFSA is the gateway to federal grants and loans for college, as well as for aid and scholarships from states and individual institutions. Millions of students submit the form annually.

“We don’t know how many students we lost because of excessively complex processes they had to go through,” he said. “We wanted to tell students, ‘We still want you to fill out FAFSA, but we promise ...