SAI calculator (2026-27)

Estimate your FAFSA Student Aid Index with the three federal formulas.

This Student Aid Index calculator estimates your 2026-27 SAI by implementing the published federal need-analysis worksheet. Choose your dependency status, enter income, tax paid, earnings and assets, and it applies the correct formula - dependent, independent without dependents, or independent with dependents - then shows each component and the resulting SAI (floored at -$1,500). An SAI of zero or below earns the maximum Pell Grant of $7,395. It is an estimate, not your official number.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education, 2026-27 SAI and Pell Grant Eligibility Guide. Data as of June 2026.

Dependency status Tax filing status Household size (including the student) Parents' AGI (adjusted gross income) Parents' U.S. income tax paid Parents' income earned from work Parents' reportable assets (cash, savings, investments) Student's AGI Student's reportable assets

Estimate only - not financial-aid advice. It implements the published 2026-27 SAI worksheet but omits some line items (untaxed income, the asset-reporting exemption) and uses the standard two-parent assessment schedule. Your official SAI is produced by the FAFSA processor at studentaid.gov. See methodology.

The three SAI formulas

The FAFSA uses one of three formulas depending on who is reporting income:

The three need-analysis formulas. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education, 2026-27 SAI and Pell Grant Eligibility Guide.
Formula	Who	Whose income & assets count
A - Dependent	Most students under 24 with no exception	Parents' + student's income and assets
B - Independent, no dependents	Independent student, no children/dependents	Student (and spouse) only
C - Independent with dependents	Independent student supporting children/dependents	Student (and spouse), with larger allowances

See the dependency status explainer to find which formula applies to you, and the reference tables for every allowance used here.

Next steps

Turn an SAI into a dollar grant with the Pell Grant calculator.
Understand a negative result in negative SAI explained.
See how savings and investments count in how assets are treated.

Frequently asked questions

How does this SAI calculator work?

It picks the correct one of the three published 2026-27 formulas based on your dependency status, subtracts the income protection allowance, employment expense allowance and payroll-tax allowance from income, adds an asset contribution at the published conversion rate, runs the result through the assessment schedule, and floors the SAI at -$1,500.

What inputs do I need?

For a dependent student: parents' AGI, U.S. income tax paid, income earned from work and reportable assets, plus the student's AGI and assets and household size. For independent students you enter your own (and spouse's) figures. Use rounded annual amounts; the result is an estimate.

Why is my estimate different from my official SAI?

This tool omits some worksheet line items (untaxed income additions, the asset-reporting exemption for lower-income families) and uses the standard two-parent assessment schedule. The federal FAFSA processor uses your full, verified application. Treat this as a planning estimate only.

Sources & accuracy

Formulas and tables from the U.S. Dept. of Education, 2026-27 SAI and Pell Grant Eligibility Guide and the Federal Need Analysis Methodology for the 2026-27 Award Year, 90 FR 23922 (June 5, 2025). Data as of June 2026 for 2026-27. This is an estimate and general information, not financial-aid advice; your official SAI is set by the federal FAFSA processor. Verify at studentaid.gov. See our methodology and disclaimer.

Last updated: 2026-06-22