FAFSA Calculator
2027-28 Student Aid Index & Pell Grant Estimator
Estimate your Student Aid Index for the 2027-28 FAFSA (opens October 1, 2026, using 2025 taxes) with the Education Department's own formula, and see whether you qualify for a Pell Grant.
Read the full answer — method, rates and figures
Quick answer: The Student Aid Index (SAI) is the number the 2027-28 FAFSA produces to measure what a family can put toward college; schools subtract it from their cost of attendance to set need-based aid. The 2027-28 FAFSA opens on October 1, 2026 and uses 2025 tax returns.
For a dependent student it is the parents' contribution (income left after taxes, an income protection allowance of $46,590 for a family of four and an employment allowance up to $5,200, plus 12% of cash and investments, run through a 22%-47% schedule), plus 50% of the student's income above $12,220, plus 20% of the student's assets. It can go as low as −1,500.
Example: two married parents with $90,000 AGI, $35,000 in savings and investments and a family of four get an SAI of about 7,152. A family of four in the 48 contiguous states qualifies for the maximum Pell Grant if the parents' AGI is at most $56,263 ($72,338 for a single parent).
Source: U.S. Department of Education, 2027-28 SAI and Pell Grant Eligibility Guide; checked 2026-09-27.
An estimate, not your official SAI.
What will my Student Aid Index be?
Two married parents with $90,000 AGI, $35,000 in savings and investments and a family of four: an SAI of about 7,152. Enter your own numbers below.
Parents (2025 tax year)
Student
Estimated SAI 2027-28
7,152
Parents' contribution
$6,752
Student contribution
$400
Pell Grant
None
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Estimated SAI
7,152
Parents' contribution
$6,752
Student contribution
$400
Pell Grant
None
Parents: income $90,000 − allowances $64,675 (tax, payroll $6,885, income protection $46,590, employment $5,200) = $25,325; plus 12% of $35,000 in assets ($4,200) = $29,525 adjusted available income → contribution $6,752.
Student: $0 from income + $400 from assets. SAI 7,152.
Pell: Not Pell-eligible. Amounts use 2026-27 award levels until the 2027-28 levels are announced.
Last reviewed 13 October 2026 by the Richify AI agent team.
Reviewed by Felix, Richify's AI CFO — an AI author, presented as one.
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This follows Formula A (dependent students) in the Education Department's 2027-28 SAI guide, rounding each step to whole dollars as the guide does. Parents' available income = AGI + untaxed income − (federal income tax + Social Security and Medicare payroll allowance + income protection allowance for the family size + employment expense allowance of 35% of earnings, at most $5,200). Add 12% of parents' net worth (asset protection allowance $0 in 2027-28), then apply the 22%-47% contribution schedule.
Student: 50% of income above tax, payroll and a $12,220 allowance (plus any negative parents' figure), and 20% of assets. The SAI is the sum, never below −1,500. Pell eligibility uses the 2025 HHS poverty guidelines; Pell dollar amounts use the 2026-27 award levels until the 2027-28 levels are announced.
Pell Grant income limits for 2027-28 (parents' 2025 AGI, 48 contiguous states)
| Family size | Max Pell, two parents | Max Pell, single parent | Min Pell, two parents | Min Pell, single parent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | $37,013 | $47,588 | $58,163 | $68,738 |
| 3 | $46,638 | $59,963 | $73,288 | $86,613 |
| 4 | $56,263 | $72,338 | $88,413 | $104,488 |
| 5 | $65,888 | $84,713 | $103,538 | $122,363 |
| 6 | $75,513 | $97,088 | $118,663 | $140,238 |
175% / 225% (maximum) and 275% / 325% (minimum, which also needs an SAI below twice the maximum award) of the 2025 HHS poverty guidelines. Alaska and Hawaii use higher guidelines; pick them in the calculator. Source: ED 2027-28 SAI guide and Federal Register 2025-01377, read 2026-09-27.
How to lower your Student Aid Index
Because parents' cash and investments count at 12% and a student's at 20%, money saved in the student's name costs more aid than the same money in a parent's name. Paying down a credit card or buying a planned necessity before you file reduces reportable cash, while money in retirement accounts and the equity in your home are not counted. See how a 529 plan fits with the 529 plan calculator, and what borrowing will cost after graduation with the student loan calculator.
How to use this calculator
- Enter your parents' 2025 AGI, federal income tax paid (the figure the FAFSA imports from the IRS) and each parent's earnings from work.
- Add parents' cash, savings and investments (not the home, not retirement accounts) and any business or farm net worth.
- Enter the student's AGI, earnings, tax paid and assets, and the household size.
- Read the estimated SAI, the parent and student contributions, and your Pell Grant eligibility.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
When does the 2027-28 FAFSA open, and which tax year does it use?
It opens on October 1, 2026 and asks for 2025 tax information (the "prior-prior year"), which the IRS transfers directly when you consent. Some state and college aid is limited and awarded until it runs out, so check your state's and schools' deadlines and file early.
What is a good Student Aid Index?
Lower means more need-based aid. An SAI at or below zero, down to −1,500, signals the greatest need and usually means a maximum Pell Grant.
Using the 2026-27 award amounts (2027-28 is not announced yet), an SAI up to 6,655 still earns a partial Pell Grant equal to $7,395 minus the SAI.
What assets count on the FAFSA?
Cash, savings and checking; investments such as stocks, bonds, mutual funds, 529 plans, trusts and real estate other than your home; and the net worth of businesses or farms (partly, on a sliding scale). The home you live in is excluded, and retirement accounts are not among the investments the FAFSA asks about.
For 2027-28 the parents' asset protection allowance is $0 at every age, so parents' assets count at 12% from the first dollar; a student's count at 20%.
Who qualifies for a maximum Pell Grant?
A dependent student whose parents did not have to file a federal tax return, or whose parents' AGI is above zero and at or below 175% of the poverty guideline for the family size (225% for a single parent). For a family of four in the 48 contiguous states that is $56,263, or $72,338 for a single parent, using the 2025 HHS guidelines.
Can I get a minimum Pell Grant with a higher SAI?
Yes, if the parents' AGI is at or below 275% of the poverty guideline (325% for a single parent), which is $88,413 for a married family of four, and the SAI is below twice the maximum Pell award. The minimum award was $740 for 2026-27.
Is this my official SAI?
No. Only the FAFSA Submission Summary from the Education Department is official. This estimate follows Formula A for dependent students and assumes the numbers you enter are what the FAFSA would receive; it does not model independent students, split tax returns or the rules that exempt some low-income families from reporting assets.
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