Estimate the dependent-student SAI from the federal methodology.
Open the FAFSA Student Aid Index tool →The Student Aid Index (SAI) is what colleges subtract from the cost of attendance to size your federal aid. The federal methodology is a published, deterministic formula, so we can show every step.
We start from the parents' total income, subtract allowances (federal income tax paid, a payroll-tax allowance, an income protection allowance for your family size, and an employment expense allowance for two-earner households), add a small share of the parents' savings and investments, and run the result through the federal assessment schedule. We add the student's own contribution (a share of their income above a protected amount, plus a share of their assets). Under the 2026-27 methodology the result is no longer divided by the number of children in college, and the SAI can be as low as -$1,500.
This is an estimate of the dependent-student formula, computed entirely on your device from the published 2026-27 tables. Verify it against the official SAI Formula Guide and your FAFSA Submission Summary before relying on it. The independent-student formula and per-state aid are out of scope for now.
Computed entirely on your device for U.S. taxes and benefits. Nothing is ever sent anywhere, and it is free forever. Educational information, not financial, tax, investment, or legal advice.