FAFSA SAI & Pell Grant Calculator 2027–28

Estimate your 2027–28 Student Aid Index (SAI) and federal Pell Grant before you file the FAFSA. This uses the official Formula A for dependent students – most high school seniors – with 2025 tax information.

Formulas shown on this page · Last reviewed October 2026

FAFSA SAI & Pell Grant Calculator 2027–28

Family

Parents’ 2025 income

Parents’ assets (today)

Student (you)

Estimated Student Aid Index (SAI)5,020
Estimated Pell Grant (full-time, 2026–27 amounts)$2,375 / year
WhyMaximum Pell minus SAI
See every step of the calculation
Parents’ total income$85,000
− Allowances (tax $6,000, payroll tax $6,503, income protection $46,590, employment expense $5,200)$64,293
= Parents’ available income$20,707
Parents’ net worth $10,000 × 12%$1,200
= Adjusted available income$21,907
Parents’ contribution (assessment schedule)$4,820
Student income contribution (50% above $12,220 allowance)$0
Student asset contribution (20%)$200
SAI5,020
Poverty guideline used (family of 4)$32,150

How the SAI is calculated (dependent students)

  1. Parents’ income: 2025 AGI plus untaxed income, minus allowances for income tax, payroll (Social Security and Medicare) tax, an income protection allowance by family size ($$46,590 for a family of four) and an employment expense allowance (35% of earnings, up to $5,200).
  2. Parents’ assets: cash, savings, investments and non-excluded business or farm net worth, counted at 12% (there is no asset protection allowance).
  3. Parents’ contribution: the adjusted available income is assessed at 22% to 47% on a sliding scale.
  4. Student: 50% of income above a $$12,220 allowance, plus 20% of the student’s assets.
  5. SAI = parents’ contribution + student income contribution + student asset contribution, between −1,500 and 999,999.

Unlike the old EFC, the SAI is not divided by the number of siblings in college, and there is no state tax allowance.

Worked example from the official guide

A family of seven with parents’ AGI of $166,332 (plus $1,000 of untaxed IRA distributions), earnings of $95,456 and $85,002, $40,326 of income tax, $24,789 in cash and $48,574 of investments, and a student who earned $6,755, has an SAI of 12,198 – this calculator reproduces that result step by step. That SAI is too high for a Pell Grant but still counts toward need-based aid at many colleges.

What this estimate does not cover

  • Independent students (Formulas B and C) and some special cases, such as children of a parent who died in military or public-safety service.
  • Your actual Pell amount also depends on enrollment intensity and your school’s cost of attendance.
  • College-specific aid formulas (CSS Profile) count things the FAFSA does not, such as home equity.

Planning your test scores too? Try the SAT score calculator or the AP score calculators.

Sources (checked October 24, 2026)

Estimate only. Your official SAI appears on your FAFSA Submission Summary. ScoreOwl is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Student Aid Index (SAI)?

The SAI is the number the FAFSA produces to measure what your family can contribute toward college. It replaced the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) and can be as low as −1,500. Colleges use it with their cost of attendance to decide need-based aid, and the federal government uses it to set your Pell Grant.

Which tax year does the 2027–28 FAFSA use?

The 2027–28 FAFSA (for college starting in fall 2027) uses 2025 tax information – the “prior-prior year” – and asset values as of the day you file. It opened on October 1, 2026.

Who gets the maximum Pell Grant?

A dependent student gets the maximum Pell Grant when parents were not required to file taxes, or when parents’ AGI is at or below 175% of the federal poverty guideline (225% for a single parent who files as head of household, qualifying surviving spouse or receives EITC). For a family of four in the 48 states that is $56,263 ($72,338 for a single parent). Otherwise Pell is the maximum award minus your SAI.

How much is the Pell Grant for 2027–28?

The Department of Education usually announces the 2027–28 maximum and minimum early in 2027. Until then this calculator uses the 2026–27 amounts: $7,395 maximum and $740 minimum for full-time, full-year students. Students with an SAI of twice the maximum Pell Grant or more are not eligible.

Do retirement accounts or our home count as assets?

No. The FAFSA does not count the home you live in, retirement accounts (401(k), IRA) or, for 2026–27 onward, a family farm you live on or a family business with 100 or fewer full-time employees. Cash, savings, investments and other real estate do count.

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