Note
Update on March 21: On March 21, 2024, we replaced the 2024-25 Student Aid Index (SAI) and Pell Grant Eligibility Guide with a new version. A listing of the changes are available at the top of the updated publication.
Update on March 1: On March 1, 2024, the Extension of Continuing Appropriations and Other Matters Act, 2024 reset the Student Aid Index (SAI) formula established on the FAFSA Simplification Act for the 2024-25 award year to have a -$1,500 minimum threshold on the allowance for negative income earned by dependent students (e.g., the Student’s Contribution from Income). The threshold will be $0 for award years 2025-26 and beyond. Accordingly, the -$1,500 income floor for SAI Formula A will be reflected in the 2024-25 Institutional Student Information Records (ISIRs) that are delivered to schools and state aid agencies in the first half of March. In addition, we have removed the updated version of the 2024-25 Student Aid Index (SAI) and Pell Grant Eligibility Guide added under “Attachments” on Feb. 27 and have reinstated the previous version of the guide in its place.
Update on Feb. 27: As explained in a Feb. 27, 2024 Electronic Announcement, we made a technical update to the Student Aid Index (SAI) formula to ensure full alignment with the FAFSA Simplification Act. The SAI formula for dependent students was previously calculated using a minimum threshold on the allowance for negative income earned by dependent students (e.g., the Student’s Contribution from Income). As we finalized preparation to deliver completed applications to schools in the first half of March, we identified that the bipartisan FAFSA Simplification Act did not specify an income floor for dependent students. Implementing a floor would be inconsistent with the letter of the law. The technical updates to SAI Formula A will be reflected in the Institutional Student Information Records (ISIRs) that are delivered to schools and state aid agencies in the first half of March. The specific change regarding dependents’ negative available income is at the top of page 9 in an updated version of the Student Aid Index (SAI) and Pell Grant Eligibility Guide “Attachments.”
Update on Jan. 30: As explained in a Jan. 30, 2024 Electronic Announcement, we updated the supporting tables used in the Student Aid Index (SAI) calculation to account for inflationary adjustments as required under the law. These tables, which directly impact eligibility for need-based federal student aid, detail the allowances against income and assets reported by students and families on their FAFSA form. The revised tables are included in the final Student Aid Index (SAI) and Pell Grant Eligibility Guide.
Update on Aug. 25: We replaced the 2024-25 Draft Student Aid Index (SAI) and Pell Grant Eligibility Guide Supplement – Pell Formulas and Enrollment Intensity attachment with an updated version that corrects information in two locations.
Update on May 19: We replaced the 2024-25 Draft Student Aid Index (SAI) and Pell Grant Eligibility Guide with an updated version. The only substantial change to the guide is a section on applicants exempt from asset reporting. We also added four new supplements to the guide—EFC to SAI Crosswalk, EFC to SAI Scenarios, Eligibility for Max or Min Pell Grant Resource, and Pell Formulas and Enrollment Intensity.
The FAFSA Simplification Act, enacted into law as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 and amended by the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022, represents a significant overhaul of federal student aid, including the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form, need analysis, and many policies and procedures for schools that participate in the Title IV programs. The U.S. Department of Education (Department) announced a phased implementation approach to the FAFSA Simplification Act, with full implementation by July 1, 2024.
To give financial aid administrators, software vendors, and other vested stakeholders time to understand and prepare for upcoming changes, we are pleased to post the 2024-25 Draft Student Aid Index (SAI) and Pell Grant Eligibility Guide on the FSA Knowledge Center website. The document includes important information about the transition from the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) to the Student Aid Index (SAI) and the methodology for determining eligibility for federal student aid, starting with the 2024-25 application cycle and beyond.
Like the EFC Formula Guides posted for prior processing cycles, the 2024-25 Draft Student Aid Index (SAI) and Pell Grant Eligibility Guide provides worksheets and tables used to determine a student’s SAI for the 2024-25 Award Year. A final version of the guide will be published prior to the start of the 2024-25 processing cycle. The Department will provide additional updated and expanded guidance as it becomes available.