The SAI is the most important number produced by your FAFSA. Here is what it is and what it means.
What the SAI Is
Before 2024–25, the FAFSA produced an Expected Family Contribution (EFC). The redesigned FAFSA replaced this with the Student Aid Index. The SAI serves the same function — representing the formula's estimate of family contribution — but the calculation changed, including the ability to produce negative values (down to -1500) to better identify students with exceptional need.
How Colleges Use It
Financial Need = Cost of Attendance − SAI. A family with SAI of $8,000 at a school with $55,000 Cost of Attendance has $47,000 in demonstrated need. A school that 'meets 100% of demonstrated need' covers that gap through grants, work-study, and loans. Schools that don't meet full need leave a portion unmet.
What Determines Your SAI
The formula considers: household income (from two-years-prior tax returns), non-retirement assets, family size, number of family members in college simultaneously, and various allowances for taxes and living expenses.