Education calculators

SAI Calculator

Updated Oct 8, 2026 By Infinity Calculator
Rate Formulas Sources

Quick SAI Estimate

$
Adjusted Gross Income (Form 1040, line 11).
Yourself, parent(s) and dependents.
Include yourself.
$
Approximate SAI
$0
For a more accurate result, use the Full Calculator tab above.

AGI × Dependents Quick Reference

$
Estimated SAI by parent AGI (rows) and number of dependents (columns).
Parent AGI 1 Dependent 2 Dependents 3 Dependents 4 Dependents
This chart assumes $0 in parent and student assets and $0 in student income. Use the Full Calculator for a personalized estimate.

Introduction

The Student Aid Index (SAI) is a number that shows how much your family is expected to pay for college each year. Schools use your SAI to figure out how much financial aid you can get. The SAI replaced the old Expected Family Contribution (EFC) starting with the 2024–25 school year as part of the FAFSA Simplification Act.

This SAI Calculator lets you estimate your Student Aid Index in minutes. Enter basic details like income, household size, and assets. The tool then walks you through each step of the federal formula so you can see exactly how your number is calculated. It also estimates your Pell Grant eligibility and shows how much financial need you may have at a given school.

Use the Quick Estimate tab if you just want a fast answer with a few inputs. Use the Full Calculator tab for a more accurate result that includes assets, tax details, and a step-by-step breakdown. Both modes work for dependent and independent students.

Note: This tool gives an estimate only. Your official SAI comes from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Each college may also use its own formulas when awarding institutional aid.

How to Use Our SAI Calculator

This Student Aid Index calculator asks for basic family and financial details. It then estimates your SAI, Pell Grant eligibility, and financial need. You can use the Quick Estimate tab for a fast result or the Full Calculator tab for a detailed breakdown.

Quick Estimate

Parent AGI: Enter your parent's Adjusted Gross Income. Find this on IRS Form 1040, line 11.

People in Household: Enter the total number of people your parents support. Count yourself, your parent or parents, and any other dependents.

In College (Half-Time+): Enter how many people in your household attend college at least half-time. Always count yourself.

Student Income: Enter any money you earned from work. This field is optional. Leave it blank or at zero if you had no income.

Full Calculator

Student Status

Dependent or Independent: Choose whether you are a dependent or independent student. Most students under age 24 who are not married, not veterans, and do not have children are dependent.

Household Information

Number of People in Household: Enter everyone your parents support, including yourself.

In College at Least Half-Time: Enter how many household members are enrolled in college at least half-time. Include yourself.

Parent Marital / Tax Filing Status: Pick how your parents filed their taxes. If you are independent, pick your own marital status instead.

State of Legal Residence: Choose the state where you or your parents legally live.

Parent Financial Information

Number of Parents: Select whether one or two parents are in the household.

Age of Older Parent: Enter the age of the older parent. This sets the asset protection allowance, which is $0 at every age for the 2026–27 award year.1

Parent(s) AGI: Enter your parents' Adjusted Gross Income from Form 1040, line 11.

Parent 1 Income from Work: Enter the wages or self-employment income earned by the first parent.

Parent 2 Income from Work: Enter the wages or self-employment income earned by the second parent. Enter zero if there is only one parent.

Income Tax Paid: Enter the actual federal income tax your parents paid. This is not the amount withheld from paychecks.

Deductible IRA / Keogh Payments: Enter the deductible payments your parents made to an IRA, Keogh or similar plan during the tax year. The SAI formula adds these back to income.1 Payroll contributions to a 401(k) and Roth IRA contributions are not in that list.

Untaxed IRA, Pension and Tax-Exempt Income: Enter your parents' tax-exempt interest, the untaxed parts of IRA distributions and pensions (minus rollovers), and any foreign income excluded from U.S. tax. These are the untaxed items the SAI formula adds to income.1

Cash, Savings & Checking: Enter the total amount your parents have in bank accounts.

Net Worth of Investments: Enter the value of your parents' investments. Do not include retirement accounts or the family home.

529 / Education Savings: Enter the balance in any 529 plans or education savings accounts owned by your parents.

Business / Farm Net Worth: Enter the net worth of a business with more than 100 full-time (or full-time equivalent) employees, or of a farm your parents do not live on. For 2026–27, a family business with 100 or fewer full-time employees and a farm the family lives on are left out.4 Enter zero if none.

Real Estate (Non-Primary): Enter the net value of any rental property or second home your parents own. Do not include the family home.

Child Support Received: Enter any child support payments your parents received.

Inheritance: Enter any inheritance your parents received during the tax year.

Trusts: Enter the value of any trusts held for your parents or family.

Other Assets: Enter the value of any other assets not already listed.

Student Financial Information

Student AGI: Enter your own Adjusted Gross Income. If you did not file taxes, enter your total income from work.

Student Income Tax Paid: Enter the federal income tax you paid. Enter zero if you did not file.

Student Untaxed Income: Enter any income you received that was not taxed.

Cash, Savings & Checking: Enter the total in your own bank accounts.

Net Worth of Investments: Enter the value of any investments you own.

Business / Farm Net Worth: Enter the net worth of any business or farm you own, using the same rule as for parents. Enter zero if none.

Spouse Information (Independent Married Students Only)

Spouse AGI: Enter your spouse's Adjusted Gross Income.

Spouse Income Tax Paid: Enter the federal income tax your spouse paid.

Spouse Untaxed Income: Enter any untaxed income your spouse received.

Spouse Cash / Savings: Enter the total in your spouse's bank accounts.

Spouse Investments: Enter the value of your spouse's investments.

Cost of Attendance

Estimated Annual COA: Enter the total cost of one year at your school. This includes tuition, fees, room, board, and other expenses. Adding this lets the calculator show your estimated financial need. You can find COA details on your school's website or use a Net Price Calculator for a school-specific estimate.

What Is the Student Aid Index (SAI)?

The Student Aid Index (SAI) is a number that shows how much money the government expects your family to pay for college each year. Schools use this number to figure out how much financial aid you can get. A lower SAI means you may qualify for more aid. A higher SAI means you may get less.

The SAI replaced the old Expected Family Contribution (EFC) starting with the 2024–2025 FAFSA. One big change is that the SAI can go as low as −$1,500.1 A negative number signals that a student has the highest level of financial need. The old EFC could only go as low as $0.

How Is the SAI Calculated?

The SAI formula looks at a few key things:

  • Parent income and assets: how much your parents earn and what they own (for dependent students).
  • Student income and assets: how much you earn and what you own.
  • Household size: how many people your parents support.
  • Tax payments and allowances: money set aside for taxes, basic living costs, and payroll deductions.

The formula adds up income and assets, subtracts allowances for living costs and taxes, then applies a set percentage to find your family's expected share.

Why Does the SAI Matter?

Colleges subtract your SAI from the Cost of Attendance (COA) to find your financial need. For example, if a school costs $30,000 per year and your SAI is $10,000, your financial need is $20,000. When packaging need-based aid, schools must convert a negative SAI to zero, so a negative SAI never raises need above the cost of attendance.3 The school then uses that number to build your aid package, which can include grants, work-study, and loans.

What Changed from the EFC?

Under the old system, having multiple children in college at the same time would split the parent contribution between them. The SAI formula no longer does this. Each student is calculated on their own. For 2026–27, the net worth of a family business with 100 or fewer full-time (or full-time equivalent) employees and of a farm the family lives on is not reported as an asset.4 Other business and farm net worth is counted on a sliding scale that starts at 40% of the first $175,000.1

SAI and Pell Grant Eligibility

Your SAI also helps determine if you qualify for a Federal Pell Grant. Pell Grants are free money from the government that you do not have to pay back. For the 2026–27 award year, the maximum Pell Grant is $7,395 and the minimum is $740.2 Generally, the lower your family income and SAI, the larger your Pell Grant will be.

Formulas used

Parent Available Income 1
\text{Available Income} = (\text{AGI} + \text{Retirement Contrib.} + \text{Untaxed Income}) - \text{Tax Paid} - \text{Payroll Tax} - \text{IPA} - \text{EEA}
Parent Contribution from Assets 1
\text{Asset Contribution} = \left(\text{Net Worth} - \text{Asset Protection Allowance}\right) \times 0.12
Adjusted Available Income (AAI)
\text{AAI} = \text{Available Income} + \text{Asset Contribution}
Parent Contribution (Progressive Assessment of AAI) 1
\text{PC} = \begin{cases} -\text{1,870} & \text{AAI} < -\text{8,500} \\ 22\%\times\text{AAI} & \le \text{21,800} \\ \text{4,796}+25\%\,(\text{AAI}-\text{21,800}) & \le \text{27,300} \\ \text{6,171}+29\%\,(\text{AAI}-\text{27,300}) & \le \text{32,800} \\ \text{7,766}+34\%\,(\text{AAI}-\text{32,800}) & \le \text{38,400} \\ \text{9,670}+40\%\,(\text{AAI}-\text{38,400}) & \le \text{43,900} \\ \text{11,870}+47\%\,(\text{AAI}-\text{43,900}) & > \text{43,900} \end{cases}
Student Contribution from Income (Dependent) 1
\text{Student IC} = \max\!\left(0,\;\text{Student Income} - \text{Tax} - \text{Payroll} - \text{11,770} - \text{Negative PAAI}\right) \times 0.50
Student Contribution from Assets (Dependent) 1
\text{Student AC} = \text{Student Assets} \times 0.20
Student Aid Index (Dependent) 1
\text{SAI} = \max\!\left(-1{,}500,\;\text{Parent Contribution} + \text{Student IC} + \text{Student AC}\right)
Estimated Financial Need 3
\text{Need} = \max\!\left(0,\;\text{COA} - \max(0,\,\text{SAI})\right)

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between the SAI and the EFC?

The Student Aid Index (SAI) replaced the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) starting with the 2024–25 FAFSA. The biggest differences are: the SAI can go as low as −$1,500 (the EFC stopped at $0), having multiple kids in college no longer splits the parent share, and the formula has its own business and farm rules. For 2026–27, a family business with 100 or fewer full-time employees and a farm the family lives on are not reported as assets.4

Can my SAI be a negative number?

Yes. The SAI can go as low as −$1,500.1 A negative SAI means you have the highest level of financial need. When packaging need-based aid, schools must convert a negative SAI to zero.3 The negative value is still your reported SAI.

What tax year's income should I use?

The FAFSA uses prior-prior year tax data. For the 2026–27 school year, you would use your 2024 tax return. Enter the income and tax figures from that year's IRS Form 1040.

Does my family's home count as an asset?

No. Your primary home is not counted as an asset in the SAI formula.1 Only other real estate like rental properties or vacation homes should be entered.

Do retirement accounts count as assets?

No. Money in 401(k), IRA, Roth IRA, pension, and other qualified retirement accounts is not counted as an asset. However, deductible payments to an IRA, Keogh or similar plan during the tax year are added back as income.1

Why doesn't having two kids in college lower my SAI?

Under the old EFC system, the parent contribution was split among all children in college. The new SAI formula removed that split. Each student's SAI is now calculated independently. This means families with multiple students in college at the same time may see a higher expected contribution per child.

What is the Income Protection Allowance?

The Income Protection Allowance (IPA) is the amount of income the formula sets aside for basic living costs like food, housing, and clothing. It is based on your household size. The larger your household, the higher the allowance, which lowers your SAI. For 2026–27, a dependent student's parents get $44,880 for a family of four.1

What is the Asset Protection Allowance?

The Asset Protection Allowance (APA) shields a small portion of parent assets from the SAI formula. It is based on the age of the older parent and whether there are one or two parents. For the 2026–27 award year, the allowance is $0 at every age, for one parent or two.1

How are student assets treated differently from parent assets?

A dependent student's assets are assessed at 20%, and that amount goes straight into the SAI. Parent assets are converted at 12% and added to the parents' adjusted available income, which is then assessed at 22% to 47%.1 So $10,000 in a student's bank account adds $2,000 to the SAI, while the same amount in a parent's account adds $1,200 to the parents' income figure, or about $264 to $564 to the SAI.

How does the what-if tool work?

After you run the Full Calculator, the what-if tool lets you drag a slider to change one variable at a time, like parent income or student assets. It instantly shows how your SAI and financial need would change. This helps you plan and see which factors have the biggest impact.

What is Cost of Attendance and why should I enter it?

Cost of Attendance (COA) is the total price of one year at a school, including tuition, fees, room, board, books, and personal expenses. When you enter it, the calculator subtracts your SAI to show your estimated financial need. You can find your school's COA on its financial aid website.

How is Pell Grant eligibility determined?

Pell eligibility starts with your family's AGI compared to the federal poverty guideline for your household size and state. You qualify for the maximum Pell Grant if your parents (or you, if independent) did not file a federal tax return, or if AGI is at or below 225% of the guideline for a single parent or 175% for everyone else.1 Otherwise, the award is the maximum minus your SAI, rounded to the nearest $5, if that is at least the $740 minimum.2 A dependent student can still get the minimum award if the parents' AGI is within 275% of the guideline, or 325% for a single parent.1 No one with an SAI of $14,790 or more, twice the maximum award, can receive a Pell Grant.2

What counts as untaxed income?

The SAI formula adds back tax-exempt interest, the untaxed parts of IRA distributions and pensions (minus rollovers), and foreign income excluded from U.S. tax, along with deductible IRA and Keogh payments.1 It no longer asks about most other untaxed benefits.

Am I a dependent or independent student?

Most undergraduates under age 24 are dependent and must report parent information. For 2026–27, you are independent if any of these apply: you were born before January 1, 2003; you are married; you are a graduate or professional student; you are on active duty or a veteran; you have children or other dependents; since age 13 you were an orphan, a ward of the court or in foster care; or you are or were an emancipated minor or in a legal guardianship.4

What is the maximum Pell Grant amount?

For the 2026–27 award year, the maximum Federal Pell Grant is $7,395 and the minimum is $740.2 The amount you receive depends on your SAI, enrollment status (full-time vs. part-time), and cost of attendance. Congress may adjust this amount for future years.

Does the SAI formula count 529 plan savings?

Yes. The SAI formula counts qualified education benefits as investments.1 A 529 plan is one of these. If the student is the beneficiary but not the owner of the account, the value is not reported as a student asset.4 Previously, 529 plans owned by grandparents could also affect eligibility, but the new formula no longer counts distributions from grandparent-owned 529s as student income.

Sources

  1. 2026–27 Student Aid Index (SAI) and Pell Grant Eligibility Guide. U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid. 2025;Version 1.1; Formula A-C and Tables A2-A5, B3, C2-C6. Accessed September 29, 2026.
  2. 2026–27 Federal Pell Grant Maximum and Minimum Award Amounts. U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid. 2026;Dear Colleague Letter. Accessed September 29, 2026.
  3. Packaging Aid. 2026-2027 Federal Student Aid Handbook. U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid. Vol. 3, Ch. 3, Treatment of Negative SAIs. Accessed September 29, 2026.
  4. Filling Out the FAFSA Form. 2026-2027 Federal Student Aid Handbook. U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid. Application and Verification Guide, Ch. 2 (Dependency Status; Student Assets). Accessed September 29, 2026.

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