Your Student Aid Index (SAI) is a formula-based index number ranging from –1500 to 999999. Where your SAI falls within the SAI range helps your school determine how much financial support you may need.

A negative SAI indicates you have a higher financial need. For example, if you have an SAI of –1500, you’ll qualify for a maximum Pell Grant award assuming you have not exhausted your lifetime amounts and meet all student eligibility requirements. Learn how the SAI is calculated.

Your SAI is not

a dollar amount of aid you’ll receive,
what your family is expected to provide, or
your final financial aid offer.

Your SAI is an index number used by financial aid professionals when creating an aid offer. Your SAI is calculated using information that you (and other contributors, if required) provide on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA^®) form.

During your aid process, you will see the following:

an estimated SAI on the confirmation page of your FAFSA form
an official SAI within your FAFSA Submission Summary (after your FAFSA form is processed)

In situations such as the ones below, student’s may be able to submit their FAFSA form without parent information despite being considered a dependent student:

You or your parent are incarcerated.
You have left home due to an abusive or threatening environment.
You have been abandoned by or estranged from your parents and have not been adopted.
You were granted refugee or asylee status and are separated from your parents, or your parents are displaced in a foreign country.
You are a victim of human trafficking.
You are otherwise unable to contact or locate your parents and have not been adopted.

If your circumstances resulted in you not having a safe, stable place to live, you may be considered a homeless youth.

If none of the above unusual circumstances apply and you do not meet the other criteria for an independent student, you must provide parent information on your FAFSA form. This is true even if you don’t live with your parent, your parent isn’t paying your college expenses, or your parent doesn’t claim you as a dependent on their taxes.

You may have an unusual circumstance that prevents you from contacting your parents or obtaining their information. If this is the case, you will be eligible to skip any questions about your parents, submit your FAFSA form as an independent student, and receive a provisional SAI. Your provisional SAI is subject to a final review by your college or career school and may change your eligibility for federal student aid. After submitting your FAFSA form, you must contact the financial aid office at the college you plan to attend to receive information about next steps—including policies and timelines—to complete your application. Note the following:

Under federal law, only your financial aid administrator (FAA) has the authority to decide whether you must provide parental information on your FAFSA form.
Your FAA may ask you to provide documentation to verify your situation.
After reviewing your circumstances, your FAA will decide if your FAFSA may be processed as an independent student or if you must provide parent information.

Provisional SAI’s will only be used to determine eligibility for the California College Promise Grant (CCPG Fee Waiver). Students are responsible for resolving any provisional status if they want to have other financial aid eligibility reviewed.

Please get in touch with our office to see what documentation is needed to resolve your Provisional status. If no action is taken, your FAFSA will remain in a Provisionally Independent status and we will only check your eligibility for the CCPG Fee Waiver.

Last modified on July 25, 2024