Need Explanation on 'SAI 1500'

Hey guys, I've come across this 'SAI 1500' thing while researching college stuff. Can anyone explain what it means? I'm so lost.

Sure, happy to clarify that for you! SAI stands for Student Aid Index. It's a number calculated by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) that colleges use to determine how much financial aid you're eligible to receive, similar to how the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) was used in the past.

The SAI can go as low as -1500, which is a change from the EFC because the EFC couldn’t go below zero. If you have a SAI of -1500, it represents that your financial need is extremely high, even more than your cost of attendance, so you would likely receive the maximum federal aid.

One significant thing to note is that the SAI is not divided based on the number of students in college within a family. In the past, if you had two kids in college at the same time, the EFC would effectively be cut in half for each of them. But with the SAI, this is no longer the case. So, if you're one of multiple siblings in college, your family's SAI might be higher than their former EFC.

I hope that clears up any confusion. If you have more questions about financial aid or anything else, feel free to ask!