Calculate Need in Package with SAI

Provides the ability to package need-based Title IV funds in 24/25, leveraging the Student Aid Index (SAI) received in the student's ISIR in the current needs analysis calculations.

For FSEOG and Subsidized loans packaged in all academic models (term or non-term), the needs analysis will pull the SAI value when the 24/25 ISIR has been received and the fund is being packaged for the 24/25 and future award years.

  • The formula for determining a student’s need remains the same, except that EFC has been replaced by SAI and EFA has been replaced by OFA.
    • When determining a student’s need, the system will continue to use the following formula: Cost of Attendance (COA) minus Student Aid Index (SAI) minus Other Financial Assistance (OFA) equals need (COA – SAI – OFA = Need).
  • Congress removed the provisions that allowed schools to use alternate EFCs when packaging students for periods other than 9 months. 
    • Therefore, when packaging for any period that is not 9 months, the system will use the calculated SAI (9-month) in the awarding formula for need-based aid.
  • A student may receive a negative SAI as low as -1,500, thus the system will support the use of a negative SAI value and treat it as zero for the purposes of the calculation.  

Steps to Enable

Use the Opt In UI to enable this feature. For instructions, refer to the Optional Uptake of New Features section of this document.

Offering: Student Financial Aid

  • Load a valid 24/25 ISIR and SAFI in order to package Title IV funds

Tips And Considerations

  • For existing students with 23/24 ISIRs, the system will continue to project Title IV funding for 24/25 and future award years leveraging the 23/24 ISIR data and needs analysis using the EFC until a 24/25 ISIR is received and valid. 
  • When the Enhanced Calculation for Summer EFC/SAI feature is enabled, the summer need calculation will use the SAI and COA/OFA from the Summer period within the needs analysis.  In a follow-up release, the summer need calculation will be updated to use the COA/OFA for all terms within the loan period including the summer term; the intention being to reduce the needs analysis burden for students' summer term packages. 
    • Prior to the follow-up release, any summer need results or need for periods less than 9 months can be adjusted manually. 

Key Resources