Student Aid Index.
In plain English
The Student Aid Index, or SAI, is a figure calculated from the income and household details on your FAFSA. Schools subtract your SAI from a school's cost of attendance to estimate your financial need, which shapes the need-based aid in your offer. The SAI replaced the older Expected Family Contribution (EFC) starting with the 2024 to 2025 FAFSA. Despite the old name, the SAI was never the exact dollar amount your family must pay; it is an index number for the aid formula. The SAI can even go below zero for the lowest-income students, which signals especially high need.
01Why it matters
Your SAI directly affects how much grant money and subsidized loan you can get, so understanding it tells you why two students at the same school can receive very different aid offers.
02The math, step by step
Imagine a college lists a cost of attendance of $30,000 and your FAFSA produces an SAI of $4,000. The school estimates your financial need as roughly $26,000 ($30,000 minus $4,000) and builds need-based aid toward that gap. A classmate with a higher SAI at the same school would show less need and typically get less need-based aid.
03What this is NOT
The SAI is not a bill or a promise of what you'll pay. It is an index number used in the aid formula. Your actual cost depends on the full aid offer, including grants, scholarships, and any loans you choose to take.
04Receipts
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Plain-English answers from our glossary. Receipts included. Never advice.
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