Know your SAI before you file, while you can still act on it
The FAFSA now shows your Student Aid Index the moment you submit. By then your form is filed and your school list is set. Estimate now, and find out what your number actually means at the schools you are considering.
This is an estimate using the 2027-28 federal SAI formula. Your actual SAI may differ based on information verified through the IRS Data Retrieval Tool when you file your FAFSA.
Already have your SAI from the FAFSA?
Skip the estimate. Enter your number and see what it means at your schools.
The Student Aid Index (SAI) is the number that determines your federal financial aid eligibility. It replaced the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) starting with the 2024-25 FAFSA. This free 2027-28 SAI calculator uses the exact federal formula and tables, completely private, so you can see your likely number months before you file and plan your school list around it.
The FAFSA gives you the number. This gives you time.
- Your school list is set when you file. An estimate months earlier is what lets you build that list on purpose.
- You can run this as many times as you want. You file the FAFSA once.
- A number on its own is not a plan. This connects your number to what each school on your list is likely to cost you.
Your SAI estimate will appear here
Work through the four short steps on the left. The calculation happens entirely in your browser, and your raw tax and asset inputs never leave your device.
Source: federal Student Aid Index guidance for award year 2027-28. CollegeLens does not send your raw income, tax, or asset inputs to our servers.