FAFSA 2027-28 Expected Contribution (SAI) Estimator
Since 2024, the number of family members in college no longer divides the parent contribution — it's still asked on the FAFSA, but doesn't change this calculation. SAI can go as low as -$1,500 (it used to floor at 0). For your official number, submit the actual FAFSA at studentaid.gov.
Get a simplified, illustrative estimate of your Student Aid Index (SAI) — the number that replaced the old EFC — for the 2027-28 FAFSA, which opens October 1, 2026 using 2025 tax year data. Uses the official 2027-28 income protection allowances and parent-contribution brackets plus the standard student income/asset rates, with the simplifications clearly labeled (flat 10% tax estimate, no employment expense allowance).
How it works
- Enter your household size, parent income and assets, and student income and assets
- The calculator runs the real SAI formula structure: parent contribution from a progressive bracket schedule, plus student contributions from income and assets
- See your estimated SAI broken down by parent and student contribution
Frequently asked questions
Is SAI the same as the old EFC?
It replaced EFC starting with the 2024-25 FAFSA, and the formula changed along with the name. The most significant change: the number of family members in college no longer divides the parent contribution (it's still asked on the form, but doesn't affect the calculation), and SAI can go as low as -$1,500 instead of floors at 0.
Is this the exact official calculation?
No — this is explicitly a simplified estimate. It approximates parent taxes as a flat 10% of income (the real formula uses actual federal/state/FICA tax calculations plus a separate employment expense allowance, which this tool skips), The income protection allowances (parents by household size: $30,300 / $37,720 / $46,590 / $54,970 / $64,290 for 2 to 6 people, plus $7,260 per additional member) and the parent contribution brackets are the official 2027-28 figures from the Federal Register notice of June 2, 2026.
What student income and asset rates does this use?
A student's available income (income minus a $12,220 protection allowance for 2027-28) is assessed at 50%, and student assets are assessed at 20%, with no equivalent income protection for assets.
How are parent assets treated?
At 5.64% of total assets, with no protection allowance at all — the asset protection allowance that used to shelter a portion of parent net worth was reduced to $0 for all ages starting with the 2026-27 formula (still $0 in the 2027-28 tables). Retirement accounts and home equity are excluded from countable assets under current rules, so only enter savings, investments and similar assets.
When does the 2027-28 FAFSA open?
October 1, 2026, using income and tax information from the 2025 tax year.
Where do I get my actual, official SAI?
Submit the real FAFSA at studentaid.gov. This calculator is for rough planning before you apply, not a substitute for the actual form.
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Update history
- 2026-10-03 Updated to the official 2027-28 figures: student income protection allowance $12,220, parent allowances by household size ($46,590 for a family of four, +$7,260 per extra member beyond six), and the 2027-28 parent contribution brackets. Previously these used 2026-27 values.
- 2026-09-24 Launched: simplified FAFSA 2027-28 SAI estimator using the confirmed 2026-27 parent-contribution bracket schedule and student income/asset assessment rates, with approximations clearly labeled (flat-rate tax estimate, no employment expense allowance, approximated household-size income protection allowance beyond the family-of-4 anchor).