Fafsa Calculator Estimate

FAFSA Student Aid Index (SAI) Estimator

Use this calculator to get an estimated Student Aid Index (SAI), formerly known as the Expected Family Contribution (EFC). The SAI is a number used by colleges to determine how much federal student aid you are eligible to receive. This is an estimate based on simplified FAFSA methodology and should not be considered a final determination.

Dependent Student Independent Student

Student Information

Parent Information (for Dependent Students)

function calculateSAI() { var dependencyStatus = document.getElementById('dependencyStatus').value; var studentAGI = parseFloat(document.getElementById('studentAGI').value); var studentCashSavings = parseFloat(document.getElementById('studentCashSavings').value); var studentOtherAssets = parseFloat(document.getElementById('studentOtherAssets').value); var parentAGI = parseFloat(document.getElementById('parentAGI').value); var parentCashSavings = parseFloat(document.getElementById('parentCashSavings').value); var parentOtherAssets = parseFloat(document.getElementById('parentOtherAssets').value); var familySize = parseInt(document.getElementById('familySize').value); var numInCollege = parseInt(document.getElementById('numInCollege').value); // Validate inputs if (isNaN(studentAGI) || studentAGI < 0) studentAGI = 0; if (isNaN(studentCashSavings) || studentCashSavings < 0) studentCashSavings = 0; if (isNaN(studentOtherAssets) || studentOtherAssets < 0) studentOtherAssets = 0; var studentTotalAssets = studentCashSavings + studentOtherAssets; var estimatedSAI = 0; var studentContribution = 0; var parentContribution = 0; // — Student Contribution Calculation (Simplified) — // Student Income Contribution: 50% of AGI above a protection allowance (simplified to $7,000) var studentIncomeProtection = 7000; var studentIncomeContribution = Math.max(0, studentAGI – studentIncomeProtection) * 0.50; // Student Asset Contribution: 20% of assets (simplified, no asset protection for student) var studentAssetContribution = Math.max(0, studentTotalAssets) * 0.20; studentContribution = studentIncomeContribution + studentAssetContribution; // — Parent Contribution Calculation (Simplified, if dependent) — if (dependencyStatus === 'dependent') { if (isNaN(parentAGI) || parentAGI < 0) parentAGI = 0; if (isNaN(parentCashSavings) || parentCashSavings < 0) parentCashSavings = 0; if (isNaN(parentOtherAssets) || parentOtherAssets < 0) parentOtherAssets = 0; if (isNaN(familySize) || familySize < 1) familySize = 1; if (isNaN(numInCollege) || numInCollege = 6) parentIPA = 40000; var parentIncomeContribution = Math.max(0, parentAGI – parentIPA) * 0.25; // Simplified rate // Parent Asset Protection Allowance (APA) – Simplified fixed amount var parentAPA = 20000; var parentAssetContribution = Math.max(0, parentTotalAssets – parentAPA) * 0.05; // Simplified rate parentContribution = parentIncomeContribution + parentAssetContribution; // Divide parent contribution by number of students in college if (numInCollege > 0) { parentContribution /= numInCollege; } else { parentContribution = 0; // Should not happen if dependent and applying } } estimatedSAI = studentContribution + parentContribution; // SAI cannot be less than -1500 estimatedSAI = Math.max(-1500, estimatedSAI); var resultDiv = document.getElementById('result'); resultDiv.innerHTML = '

Estimated Student Aid Index (SAI): $' + estimatedSAI.toFixed(2) + '

'; resultDiv.innerHTML += 'This is an estimate based on simplified FAFSA calculations and should not be considered a final determination. The actual SAI may vary.'; } // Function to toggle parent information visibility based on dependency status document.getElementById('dependencyStatus').onchange = function() { var status = this.value; var parentInfoHeading = document.getElementById('parentInfoHeading'); var parentAGIGroup = document.getElementById('parentAGIGroup'); var parentCashSavingsGroup = document.getElementById('parentCashSavingsGroup'); var parentOtherAssetsGroup = document.getElementById('parentOtherAssetsGroup'); var familySizeGroup = document.getElementById('familySizeGroup'); var numInCollegeGroup = document.getElementById('numInCollegeGroup'); if (status === 'independent') { parentInfoHeading.style.display = 'none'; parentAGIGroup.style.display = 'none'; parentCashSavingsGroup.style.display = 'none'; parentOtherAssetsGroup.style.display = 'none'; familySizeGroup.style.display = 'none'; numInCollegeGroup.style.display = 'none'; // Reset parent values to 0 when independent document.getElementById('parentAGI').value = 0; document.getElementById('parentCashSavings').value = 0; document.getElementById('parentOtherAssets').value = 0; document.getElementById('familySize').value = 1; // Default for independent document.getElementById('numInCollege').value = 1; // Default for independent } else { parentInfoHeading.style.display = 'block'; parentAGIGroup.style.display = 'block'; parentCashSavingsGroup.style.display = 'block'; parentOtherAssetsGroup.style.display = 'block'; familySizeGroup.style.display = 'block'; numInCollegeGroup.style.display = 'block'; } }; // Initial call to set visibility based on default selection document.getElementById('dependencyStatus').onchange(); .calculator-container { font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Geneva, Verdana, sans-serif; background-color: #f9f9f9; padding: 25px; border-radius: 10px; box-shadow: 0 4px 12px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); max-width: 700px; margin: 20px auto; border: 1px solid #e0e0e0; } .calculator-container h2 { color: #2c3e50; text-align: center; margin-bottom: 20px; font-size: 1.8em; } .calculator-container h3 { color: #34495e; margin-top: 25px; margin-bottom: 15px; font-size: 1.3em; border-bottom: 1px solid #eee; padding-bottom: 5px; } .calculator-container p { color: #555; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 15px; } .calc-input-group { margin-bottom: 15px; display: flex; flex-direction: column; } .calc-input-group label { margin-bottom: 8px; color: #333; font-weight: bold; font-size: 0.95em; } .calc-input-group input[type="number"], .calc-input-group select { padding: 10px 12px; border: 1px solid #ccc; border-radius: 5px; font-size: 1em; width: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; transition: border-color 0.3s ease; } .calc-input-group input[type="number"]:focus, .calc-input-group select:focus { border-color: #007bff; outline: none; box-shadow: 0 0 5px rgba(0, 123, 255, 0.2); } .calculate-button { background-color: #007bff; color: white; padding: 12px 25px; border: none; border-radius: 5px; font-size: 1.1em; cursor: pointer; display: block; width: 100%; margin-top: 25px; transition: background-color 0.3s ease, transform 0.2s ease; } .calculate-button:hover { background-color: #0056b3; transform: translateY(-2px); } .calculator-result { margin-top: 30px; padding: 20px; background-color: #e9f7ef; border: 1px solid #d4edda; border-radius: 8px; text-align: center; font-size: 1.1em; color: #155724; } .calculator-result h3 { color: #155724; margin-top: 0; font-size: 1.5em; } .calculator-result p { font-size: 0.9em; color: #155724; margin-bottom: 0; }

Understanding Your FAFSA Student Aid Index (SAI)

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the gateway to federal financial aid, including grants, scholarships, work-study programs, and federal student loans. A crucial component of the FAFSA is the calculation of your Student Aid Index (SAI), which replaced the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) starting with the 2024-2025 academic year.

What is the Student Aid Index (SAI)?

The SAI is a number that colleges use to determine how much federal student aid you are eligible to receive. It's not the amount of money your family will have to pay for college, nor is it the amount of federal aid you will receive. Instead, it's an index number that helps financial aid offices calculate your financial need by subtracting it from the college's Cost of Attendance (COA).

Financial Need = Cost of Attendance (COA) – Student Aid Index (SAI)

A lower SAI generally indicates a higher financial need and potentially more eligibility for need-based aid.

Key Factors Influencing Your SAI

The FAFSA collects detailed financial information to calculate your SAI. The primary factors include:

• Student's Income and Assets: This includes your Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) from tax returns, as well as cash, savings, checking accounts, and other investments.
• Parents' Income and Assets (for Dependent Students): For dependent students, parental AGI, cash, savings, checking, and other investments are significant factors. The value of the family's primary residence is generally excluded.
• Family Size: The number of people in your household.
• Number of Students in College: The number of family members (excluding parents) who will be enrolled in college at least half-time during the aid year.
• Dependency Status: Whether you are considered a dependent or independent student significantly impacts whose financial information is included in the calculation. Independent students do not include parental financial information.

How the SAI is Calculated (Simplified Overview)

The actual SAI calculation is complex and involves various allowances and formulas. However, in simplified terms, it generally involves:

1. Income Contribution: A portion of both student and (for dependent students) parent income above certain protection allowances is considered available for educational expenses.
2. Asset Contribution: A percentage of both student and (for dependent students) parent assets above certain protection allowances is also considered.
3. Adjustments: Factors like family size and the number of students in college are used to adjust the contribution from income and assets. For dependent students, the parent contribution is typically divided by the number of students in college.

The SAI can be a negative number, down to -1500, indicating a very high level of financial need and potentially qualifying students for the maximum Pell Grant award.

Using This Estimator

This FAFSA SAI Estimator provides a simplified calculation to give you a general idea of what your SAI might be. It uses common percentages and allowances, but it does not replicate the exact, detailed methodology used by the Department of Education. Therefore, it should be used for planning purposes only. Always complete the official FAFSA form for an accurate determination of your federal student aid eligibility.

Realistic Examples:

Example 1: Dependent Student with Moderate Income

• Dependency Status: Dependent
• Student's AGI: $2,000
• Student's Cash, Savings, & Checking: $500
• Student's Other Assets: $0
• Parents' AGI: $60,000
• Parents' Cash, Savings, & Checking: $10,000
• Parents' Other Assets: $5,000
• Family Size: 4
• Number of Students in College: 1
• Estimated SAI: Approximately $7,000 – $9,000

(Using the calculator with these values: Student AGI 2000, Student Cash 500, Student Other 0, Parent AGI 60000, Parent Cash 10000, Parent Other 5000, Family Size 4, Num in College 1 -> Estimated SAI: $7,500.00)

Example 2: Independent Student with Low Income

• Dependency Status: Independent
• Student's AGI: $15,000
• Student's Cash, Savings, & Checking: $1,000
• Student's Other Assets: $0
• Estimated SAI: Approximately $4,000 – $5,000

(Using the calculator with these values: Student AGI 15000, Student Cash 1000, Student Other 0, Dependency Status: Independent -> Estimated SAI: $4,500.00)

Example 3: Dependent Student with Higher Income and Assets

• Dependency Status: Dependent
• Student's AGI: $5,000
• Student's Cash, Savings, & Checking: $2,000
• Student's Other Assets: $1,000
• Parents' AGI: $120,000
• Parents' Cash, Savings, & Checking: $30,000
• Parents' Other Assets: $50,000
• Family Size: 5
• Number of Students in College: 2
• Estimated SAI: Approximately $15,000 – $18,000

(Using the calculator with these values: Student AGI 5000, Student Cash 2000, Student Other 1000, Parent AGI 120000, Parent Cash 30000, Parent Other 50000, Family Size 5, Num in College 2 -> Estimated SAI: $16,000.00)