FAFSA / Student Aid Index Calculator
Estimate SAI with award-year Formula A, B or C worksheets, transparent allowances and local financial calculations.
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How to use the fafsa / student aid index calculator
Each block explains one part of how this works and how to read the result.
Choose your method and enter inputs
Estimate SAI with award-year Formula A, B or C worksheets, transparent allowances and local financial calculations.
Select the award year and use that year's required tax data. Enter FAFSA-defined household indicators and reportable totals from the guide; financial calculations run locally in your browser.
Formula and methodology
Formula A: parent contribution + student income and asset contributions. B: student income and assets. C: assessment of student adjusted available income.
The calculation breakdown lists what was counted and which rules were applied. Data-backed results identify their source and version; changing inputs clears a previous result so it cannot be mistaken for a new calculation.
Worked example
For 2027-28 Formula B, a single student with $40,000 AGI and wages, $3,000 income tax and no assets has $3,060 payroll allowance and $19,000 income protection. SAI = ($40,000 - $3,000 - $3,060 - $19,000) x 50% = 7,470.
Assumptions and limitations
This estimates the worksheet after you supply FAFSA-defined statuses and reportable totals. It does not determine dependency, verification, professional judgment or asset exemption eligibility.
Check the result's method and linked source. A practice profile or planning estimate should be interpreted within its stated assumptions.
Frequently asked questions
How does the fafsa / student aid index calculator calculate its result?
Formula A: parent contribution + student income and asset contributions. B: student income and assets. C: assessment of student adjusted available income.
Can I use this without an account?
Yes. The tool is free and does not require a login. Financial worksheets calculate in your browser; DOI metadata is retrieved from Crossref.
What assumptions should I check?
This estimates the worksheet after you supply FAFSA-defined statuses and reportable totals. It does not determine dependency, verification, professional judgment or asset exemption eligibility.
Can I access the same calculation through an API?
Yes. Use /api/tools/fafsa-calculator. Structured arrays and financial inputs use a JSON POST body. The API returns calculation steps and source provenance.
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Developer API
POST JSON to /api/tools/fafsa-calculator. The browser and API share the same deterministic engine. Financial inputs use POST only and responses are not cached. The service does not store your financial inputs.
Response fields: title, value, metrics, steps, rows, warnings, provenance. Citation responses also include normalized metadata and in-text citations.
Example JSON request
{
"awardYear": "2026-27",
"dependency": "dependent",
"married": "no",
"dependents": "no",
"singleParent": "no",
"familySize": 4,
"region": "other",
"taxFiler": "yes",
"parentAgi": 65000,
"parentForeign": 0,
"parentTax": 4000,
"parentWages": 65000,
"parentFiling": "joint",
"parentSpouseWages": 0,
"parentSpouseFiling": "single",
"parentAdditions": 0,
"parentOffsets": 0,
"parentAssetsExempt": "no",
"parentAssets": 10000,
"parentBusiness": 0,
"parentChildSupport": 0,
"studentAgi": 6000,
"studentForeign": 0,
"studentTax": 0,
"studentWages": 6000,
"studentFiling": "single",
"studentSpouseWages": 0,
"studentSpouseFiling": "single",
"studentAdditions": 0,
"studentOffsets": 0,
"studentAssetsExempt": "no",
"studentAssets": 500,
"studentBusiness": 0,
"studentChildSupport": 0
}
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