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What Is the Student Aid Index?
The Student Aid Index helps colleges determine how much financial aid you can get after filling out the FAFSA.
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Cecilia Clark is an editor on the insurance team. She specializes in auto insurance and manages product reviews and roundups. Previously, she worked as a freelance writer and developed communications strategies for cybersecurity firms. Cecilia has also worked in post-secondary education, elevator operations management and sales and military nuclear command control, maintenance management and public affairs.
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The Student Aid Index, or SAI, is a measure that colleges use to determine a student's ability to pay for college and the amount of financial aid they can receive. Students receive an SAI after submitting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
The SAI was introduced on the redesigned 2024-25 FAFSA. It replaced the Expected Family Contribution (EFC), which was previously used on the FAFSA to calculate a student's financial need.
🤓Nerdy Tip
When can I submit my FAFSA application? The FAFSA for the 2025-26 academic year is now open for all students. FAFSA applications for the current academic year, 2024-25, can be submitted until June 30, 2025.
How is the Student Aid Index calculated?
The information you input on the FAFSA about you and your family’s financial profile determines your SAI. In most cases, the FAFSA automatically pulls this information from your tax return.
The index equals the sum of you and your parents’ (or spouse’s) total financial resources, minus annual living expenses.
Unlike the EFC, the SAI does not consider the number of family members in college. This means that parents will no longer receive a "sibling discount" for putting multiple kids through college at the same time.
Once you submit the FAFSA and the Education Department processes the form, you’ll receive your FAFSA Submission Summary, which details the information you included on the application and your SAI. (This summary was previously called the Student Aid Report).
Students must submit the FAFSA each year they are in school to unlock federal student loans, Pell Grants, work-study and even some private scholarships.
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NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula incorporates coverage options, customer experience, customizability, cost and more.
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NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula incorporates coverage options, customer experience, customizability, cost and more.
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NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula incorporates coverage options, customer experience, customizability, cost and more.
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NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula incorporates coverage options, customer experience, customizability, cost and more.
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SAI is used as part of the equation for financial need. Financial aid officers subtract your SAI and other financial assistance from the cost of attendance. Your cost of attendance at a certain school includes tuition, fees and room and board. The financial aid eligibility equation essentially looks like this:
Cost of attendance – SAI = financial need
Your SAI can range from -1,500 to 999,999. A lower SAI indicates a higher level of financial need and makes it more likely that you'll qualify for financial aid, like the need-based Pell Grant.
For example, if your cost of attendance is $30,000 and your SAI is -$1,500, your estimated financial need would be $31,500.
Colleges aren’t required to meet 100% of your financial need, though some do. In addition to need-based aid like grants or scholarships, your financial aid package may also include federal student loans, which you repay in the future. Some types of aid, such as work-study, might also be limited at your school.
