my cousin went to suny last year and they told him the negative sai mainly just get him the subsidized loans instead of unsubsidized. still have to pay it back but at least no interest while in school i guess 🤷‍♂️

One more thing to check - look at the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) listed in any communications from the schools. Sometimes schools still use this older term instead of SAI. If they list an EFC number that's different from your -1500 SAI, that could explain the discrepancy. Some schools use institutional methodologies that calculate need differently from the federal formula. For SUNY schools specifically, they typically meet only a portion of demonstrated need. Their institutional aid often goes to students with SAI scores much lower than -1500. But you should definitely be seeing some Pell Grant funds with that SAI.

Let me clear up some confusion here about the high school diploma correction issue: 1. This is related to the FAFSA Simplification Act changes for 2024-2025 applications 2. The education section was completely redesigned, causing integration issues 3. The online correction form has a specific bug with toggle fields (like yes/no questions) Here's what actually works: - Call FSA directly at 1-800-433-3243 - Tell them specifically you need a "manual override correction" for the education section - Request a confirmation email once corrected - Allow 3-5 days for the correction to appear in the system Your SAI (Student Aid Index) calculation is directly affected by education status, so this is definitely worth fixing properly. If you have a deadline approaching, ask the agent to note this in your file and request expedited processing.

i had this problem too but for my associate's degree. the website is garbage. i ended up going to my schools financial aid office in person and they helped me fill out a paper form to fix it. took like 2 weeks to process tho

That's so frustrating! I'm already worried about deciphering what's a grant versus what's a loan. Did you find any good resources for understanding the aid packages when they arrive?

honestly we just called the financial aid office directly and made them explain everything. They kept trying to make the parent plus loans sound like

dont stress too much about getting everything perfect. my daughter's counselor said they can always make corrections after submitting if you discover something was wrong!

One last document tip: if your family has had a significant financial change since 2023 (job loss, major medical expenses, etc.), gather documentation of that as well. While you'll still report 2023 information on the FAFSA, you can submit an appeal for professional judgment to the financial aid offices afterward. Also, the new FAFSA has eliminated the sibling discount automatically (multiple children in college at once), so if that applies to your family now or in the future, you'll need to contact each school individually about it. Once you submit, your Student Aid Index (SAI) should be calculated within 3-5 days, though in busy periods it can take longer.

Just to give everyone an update - the Department of Education officially announced today that the 2024-2025 FAFSA will be available starting December 1, 2023. They also noted a few important changes: 1. The form will be available in 11 languages 2. More students will qualify for federal student aid due to the new Student Aid Index calculation 3. Families with multiple students in college will see changes to how their financial need is calculated Mark your calendars for December 1st, and I recommend trying to submit in the first week if possible to avoid technical issues that might come from everyone trying to access the system at once.

my brother just texted me and confirmed its def december 1st!! he said theyre expecting another crashed website tho lol so maybe wait a few days after it opens