Your SAI is a number that the government calculates using your FAFSA data, including your tax information. It represents a student’s ability to pay for college. In general, the more money you and/or your contributors make, the higher your SAI will be. The SAI is the most important number for your financial aid, as need-based financial aid programs account for the majority of all financial aid.
You can view your preliminary SAI the moment you submit the FAFSA. The FAFSA will also give you an estimate of how much Pell you can expect to be awarded for the year. Keep in mind that these are only estimates and are subject to change. The amount awarded to you in your FalconNest is your actual Pell award at Solano.
If your SAI is above a certain threshold, you will no longer be eligible for need-based financial aid programs. The exact threshold changes from year to year and is based on the financial aid program in question, the student’s Cost Of Attendance (COA), and other factors.