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FAFSA SAI Calculator 2027-28 (Student Aid Index).
Estimate your 2027–28 Student Aid Index (SAI) and Pell Grant eligibility with the official FSA formulas A, B and C: dependent or independent, with every worksheet line shown and instant results.
You are independent if, for example, you were born before January 1, 2004, are married, a graduate student, a veteran, on active duty, support a child or other dependent, or were in foster care. Otherwise you are dependent.
The student, the parents, and other children or people the parents support (as they could claim on a tax return).
More income items (optional)
More income items (optional)
Not in the guide and not yet announced by Federal Student Aid. Leave blank, or enter the amounts once they are published, to see a partial or minimum Pell result.
- Formula result before limits
- 1,384
- AGI + foreign income exclusion
- $62,000
- 2025 poverty guideline for this family
- $32,150 4 · Any other state, DC, a territory or abroad
- Maximum-Pell AGI limit
- $56,263 175 %
- Minimum-Pell AGI limit
- $88,413 275 %
Unofficial estimate for planning. Your official SAI comes only from the FAFSA form; schools set the final award. Compare with the official Federal Student Aid Estimator on studentaid.gov. Federal Student Aid Estimator (studentaid.gov)
Step-by-step worksheet — Formula A — dependent student
| Line | Item | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Parents’ total income additions (AGI + untaxed items + foreign exclusion) | 62,000 |
| 2 | Parents’ income offsets | 0 |
| 3 | Total parents’ income (may be negative) | 62,000 |
| 4 | Parents’ federal income tax paid | 2,100 |
| 5a | Payroll tax allowance — Medicare (HI) | 899 |
| 5b | Payroll tax allowance — Social Security (OASDI) | 3,844 |
| 6 | Income protection allowance (Table A2, family size) | 46,590 |
| 7 | Employment expense allowance (lesser of 35 % of earnings or $5,200) | 5,200 |
| 8 | Total allowances against income | 58,633 |
| 9 | Parents’ available income (may be negative) | 3,367 |
| 10 | Child support received | 0 |
| 11 | Cash, savings and checking | 8,000 |
| 12 | Net worth of investments (0 if negative) | 5,000 |
| 13 | Adjusted net worth of businesses/farms (Table A3) | 0 |
| 14 | Net worth | 13,000 |
| 15 | Asset protection allowance (Table A4: $0 at every age) | 0 |
| 17 | Parents’ contribution from assets (net worth × 12 %) | 1,560 |
| 18 | Parents’ adjusted available income (may be negative) | 4,927 |
| 19 | Parents’ contribution (Table A5) — 0 + 22 % of AAI over 0 | 1,084 |
| 20 | Student total income additions | 4,000 |
| 21 | Student income offsets | 0 |
| 22 | Total student income | 4,000 |
| 23 | Student federal income tax paid | 0 |
| 24a | Student payroll allowance — Medicare (HI) | 58 |
| 24b | Student payroll allowance — Social Security (OASDI) | 248 |
| 25 | Student income protection allowance | 12,220 |
| 26 | Allowance for parents’ negative adjusted available income | 0 |
| 27 | Total student allowances | 12,526 |
| 28 | Student available income (may be negative) | -8,526 |
| 30 | Student contribution from income (× 50 %, 0 if negative) | 0 |
| 31 | Student cash, savings and checking | 1,500 |
| 32 | Student investments | 0 |
| 33 | Student adjusted business/farm net worth | 0 |
| 34 | Student net worth | 1,500 |
| 36 | Student contribution from assets (× 20 %) | 300 |
| 37 | Student Aid Index (before the −1,500 floor) | 1,384 |
| Estimated Student Aid Index (SAI) | 1,384 |
Not covered: separate Puerto Rico or territory returns, a parent or spouse with a different spouse on a joint return, provisional independence, professional judgment, Children of Fallen Heroes and Iraq-Afghanistan Service Grant rules, and the asset-reporting exemptions (enter 0 for assets if you are exempt). The guide gives no payroll rule for a contributor who did not file: their earnings use the single limits. Pell eligibility also requires an undergraduate (or eligible teacher-certification or workforce) program; the award amount depends on cost and enrollment.
Source: 2027–28 Student Aid Index (SAI) and Pell Grant Eligibility Guide, Version 1, June 2026 (U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid). Poverty guidelines: Annual Update of the HHS Poverty Guidelines, Federal Register Vol. 90, No. 11, January 17, 2025, pp. 5917–5918 (checked 2026-10-17).
Steps to use FAFSA SAI Calculator 2027-28 (Student Aid Index)
Choose dependent or independent status, marital status, family size and state, then enter 2025 AGI, federal tax paid, earnings, savings, investments and business or farm net worth. The SAI, the Pell result and the line-by-line worksheet update as you type.
How FAFSA SAI Calculator 2027-28 (Student Aid Index) processes your input
Tables of the FSA “2027–28 SAI and Pell Grant Eligibility Guide” (June 2026): income protection allowances (Tables A2, C2, C3), payroll tax with the 2025 $176,100 Social Security base, business/farm adjustment, asset protection ($0), contribution bands (A5, C6), the −1,500 floor, maximum Pell at 175 %/225 % and minimum Pell at 275–400 % of the 2025 HHS poverty guidelines. Guide rounding (three decimals, then whole dollars).
FAFSA SAI Calculator 2027-28 (Student Aid Index): worked example
The guide’s own worked example (dependent student, family of 7, parents’ AGI $166,332, tax $40,326, assets $73,363; student AGI $5,723) gives parents’ contribution $12,198 and an SAI of 12,198, matched line by line.
How to estimate your 2027–28 SAI
- Choose your status. You are independent if, for example, you were born before January 1, 2004, are married, are a graduate student, a veteran or on active duty, or support a child or another dependent. Otherwise you are a dependent student and your parents’ information counts.
- Enter the marital status, the family size and the state of residence (Alaska and Hawaii have their own poverty guidelines).
- Enter the 2025 tax-year figures: adjusted gross income (AGI), federal income tax paid, income earned from work for each person, child support received, cash and savings, investments and the net worth of a business or farm. Dependent students also enter their own income and assets.
- Read the estimated SAI, the Pell Grant result and the worksheet: every line of formula A, B or C appears with its amount, in the order of the official guide.
The worked example of the official guide is built in as a test: a dependent student in a family of 7, parents’ AGI $166,332, tax paid $40,326 and $73,363 of savings and investments, student AGI $5,723. The parents’ contribution is $12,198, the student contributes $0 and the SAI is 12,198, the same figure on every line as the guide.
Which formula applies: A, B or C
| Formula | Student | SAI is made of |
|---|---|---|
| A | Dependent | Parents’ contribution + student’s contribution from income (50 % of available income) + from assets (20 %) |
| B | Independent, no dependents other than a spouse | Contribution from income (50 %, can be negative) + from assets (20 %) |
| C | Independent with dependents | Adjusted available income (income + 7 % of assets) converted with the contribution table |
Each formula subtracts allowances from income: federal tax paid, payroll taxes (Social Security up to the $176,100 wage base of 2025, Medicare), an income protection allowance and, for working families, an employment expense allowance of 35 % of earnings up to $5,200. The asset protection allowance is $0 at every age in 2027–28, so all reportable savings count. The SAI can be negative, down to −1,500.
Income protection allowance for parents (Table A2)
| Family size (including the student) | Allowance |
|---|---|
| 2 | $30,300 |
| 3 | $37,720 |
| 4 | $46,590 |
| 5 | $54,970 |
| 6 | $64,290 |
| Each additional person | + $7,260 |
A dependent student keeps $12,220 of their own income. An independent student without dependents keeps $19,000 if unmarried or $30,470 if married; with dependents the allowance depends on family size (for example $71,040 for a single parent in a family of 3).
Pell Grant eligibility in 2027–28
A student qualifies for the maximum Pell Grant when the contributors did not file a 2025 federal tax return (SAI set to −1,500), when AGI is above $0 and at most 175 % of the 2025 poverty guideline (225 % for a single parent), or when the SAI is 0 or less. For a family of 4 in the 48 contiguous states the guideline is $32,150, so the 175 % limit is $56,263.
A partial Pell Grant needs an SAI no higher than the maximum minus the minimum award, and a minimum Pell Grant an AGI under 275–400 % of the poverty guideline with an SAI below twice the maximum award. The 2027–28 award amounts are not in the guide and had not been announced when this page was checked, so the tool asks you to enter them once they are published.
To plan the rest of the cost, set a target with the savings goal calculator, project a 529 or savings account with the compound interest projection, price a student loan with the loan EMI calculator and track grades for scholarships with the weighted GPA calculator.
Questions about FAFSA SAI Calculator 2027-28 (Student Aid Index)
What is the Student Aid Index (SAI)?
The SAI is the number the FAFSA form calculates to decide your eligibility for federal aid such as Pell Grants. It replaced the Expected Family Contribution (EFC). It ranges from −1,500 to 999,999; a lower SAI means more need-based aid.
Which tax year does the 2027–28 FAFSA use?
The 2025 tax year (the “prior-prior” year): 2025 AGI, tax paid and earnings, and the 2025 HHS poverty guidelines for the Pell Grant limits.
Can my SAI be negative?
Yes. Formulas B and C, and the parents’ contribution in formula A, can go below zero. The final SAI is never lower than −1,500, and students whose contributors did not file a tax return get −1,500 directly.
Do my parents’ retirement accounts or home count as assets?
No. The home you live in and retirement plans are not reported. Cash, savings, checking, investments (including 529 plans and real estate other than the main home) and the net worth of businesses and farms are, the latter reduced with the guide’s adjustment table.
How much Pell Grant will I get?
The tool tells you whether you qualify for the maximum, a partial or the minimum Pell Grant. The dollar amount depends on the 2027–28 award amounts, your cost of attendance and enrollment, which your school calculates.
Is this the official calculator?
No. It reproduces the published formulas for planning. Only the FAFSA form gives your official SAI; compare with the Federal Student Aid Estimator on studentaid.gov. Your entries stay in your browser.
Is FAFSA SAI Calculator 2027-28 (Student Aid Index) free, and do I need an account?
Yes. This tool is free to use in your browser without an account. Processing takes place on your device.
What are the limits and what should I check?
Unofficial estimate: only the FAFSA gives your SAI. The 2027–28 maximum and minimum Pell amounts are not published yet, so partial or minimum Pell needs the amounts entered. No Puerto Rico/territory returns, provisional independence or professional judgment. Nothing is uploaded. Review the result before using it in your work.
Is my input sent to a server?
Your input is processed in your browser and is not uploaded by this tool. Files and pasted text are cleared when the page is refreshed. Normal website requests are still required to load the page and its libraries. Read the privacy explanation.