Estimate your FAFSA Student Aid Index.
See what may affect your aid.
Use the 2025-26 SAI formula structure to estimate your FAFSA Student Aid Index, likely Pell Grant range, and the income or asset inputs driving the result.
SAI CalculatorEstimate FAFSA aid eligibility
Student Aid Index Calculator
Estimate your 2025-26 SAI and likely Pell Grant range using the federal Student Aid Index worksheet structure.
Parent income and assets
Student income and assets
Pell Grant award assumptions
Likely partial Pell Grant: estimated Pell award $ 5,620.
This is a planning estimate, not an official FAFSA result. Schools may update aid after verification, enrollment intensity, cost of attendance, and other eligibility checks.
Max eligible: no; minimum eligible: yes.
Formula A based on dependency, marital status, and dependents.
FAFSA SAI guide
What the Student Aid Index estimates
The SAI replaced the old Expected Family Contribution. Colleges use it as a FAFSA eligibility signal for federal student aid, including Pell Grants, work-study, and need-based loans.
How this SAI calculator works
The calculator follows the Department of Education worksheet flow: pick the correct SAI formula, calculate income and asset contributions, clamp the final SAI between -1,500 and 999,999, then test Pell Grant eligibility.
Low SAI
A lower SAI generally means more need-based aid eligibility. The 2025-26 formula can produce an SAI as low as -1,500.
Pell estimate
Pell eligibility depends on maximum Pell, SAI-based Pell, and minimum Pell poverty-guideline tests.
Included in this estimate
- 2025-26 SAI Formula A, Formula B, and Formula C routing
- Income protection allowances, payroll tax allowance, and employment expense allowance
- Business and investment farm net worth adjustment table
- Maximum and minimum Pell Grant poverty-guideline checks
Before relying on the number
- It does not submit or replace the FAFSA form
- It groups detailed FAFSA income additions and offsets into summary inputs
- It does not verify asset-reporting exemptions automatically
- It does not split married-filing-separately payroll taxes between spouses
- It does not adjust for school cost of attendance or enrollment intensity
SAI formula paths
Which FAFSA SAI formula applies?
The 2025-26 guide uses dependency status, marital status, and whether the student has dependents other than a spouse to choose the formula.
Formula A
Used for dependent students. It combines parent contribution, student income contribution, and student assets.
Formula B
Used for independent students without dependents other than a spouse. Income and assets are assessed directly.
Formula C
Used for independent students with dependents other than a spouse. It has larger income protection allowances and a 7% asset conversion rate.
Aid planning
Use your SAI before financial aid letters arrive
A FAFSA SAI estimate helps families compare schools, prepare appeals, and understand whether income, assets, or household size are driving the aid result.
High-value checks
- Confirm whether your FAFSA requires asset reporting.
- Run one estimate with student assets separated from parent assets.
- Compare the Pell estimate with each school’s total net price.
SAI calculator FAQ
Common questions about FAFSA SAI
What is the Student Aid Index?
The Student Aid Index, or SAI, is the FAFSA calculation colleges use to help determine federal student aid eligibility. A lower SAI generally means more need-based aid eligibility.
Is this SAI calculator official?
No. This calculator is an educational estimate based on the 2025-26 Department of Education SAI and Pell Grant guide. Your official SAI comes from the FAFSA Submission Summary and school financial aid offices.
Can the SAI be negative?
Yes. The 2025-26 formula can produce a negative SAI, and the guide caps the lowest SAI at -1,500.
How is Pell Grant eligibility estimated?
The calculator checks maximum Pell eligibility, SAI-based Pell eligibility, and minimum Pell eligibility using poverty-guideline tests and the Pell award assumptions entered in the calculator.
Which SAI formula do I use?
Dependent students use Formula A. Independent students without dependents other than a spouse use Formula B. Independent students with dependents other than a spouse use Formula C.
Why are FAFSA income additions and offsets grouped?
The federal worksheet includes several detailed items such as tax-exempt interest, untaxed retirement distributions, education credits, taxable grants, and federal work-study. This calculator groups them so families can enter totals from tax records or FAFSA notes.