Question 1

What is the Student Aid Index (SAI)?

Accepted Answer

The Student Aid Index is the number the FAFSA produces from your family's income, assets, household size, and number of students in college. Colleges subtract your SAI from their cost of attendance (COA) to determine your demonstrated financial need. Unlike the old EFC, the SAI can go as low as -$1,500.

Question 2

How is the SAI calculated?

Accepted Answer

The FAFSA formula starts with parent adjusted gross income plus untaxed income, subtracts allowances for federal and state taxes, payroll taxes, and an income protection allowance based on household size. A portion of remaining income (up to 47%) is added to a percentage of countable parent assets (5.64%) and student income and assets (up to 50% and 20%). Primary home equity and retirement accounts are excluded from the FAFSA.

Question 3

Why does the CSS Profile give a different number than the FAFSA?

Accepted Answer

About 200 mostly private colleges use the CSS Profile for their own institutional aid. The CSS Profile can count primary home equity, business value, and noncustodial parent income, which the FAFSA ignores. Each school also applies its own caps and thresholds, so your institutional EFC often differs from school to school — that is why this calculator shows a range instead of a single number.

Question 4

Does a lower SAI guarantee more financial aid?

Accepted Answer

No. Your SAI determines eligibility for need-based aid, but each college decides how much of that need it actually meets. Some schools meet 100% of demonstrated need with grants; others meet a fraction and fill the rest with loans. That is why comparing net price by school matters more than the SAI alone.

Question 5

Which tax year does the 2026-27 FAFSA use?

Accepted Answer

The 2026-27 FAFSA uses prior-prior year tax data — your 2024 federal return. For a student entering college in fall 2026, income decisions made during the junior-year window can still affect later aid years, which is why timing matters.

Question 6

Is this calculator free and private?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The estimate runs entirely in your browser, and your financial inputs are never uploaded to a server. Results are planning estimates only — each college's official award letter is authoritative.

Free SAI (Student Aid Index) Calculator — 2026-2027

Household details

How the Student Aid Index is calculated — FAQ