Applying For Aid

Student Aid Index (SAI)

Used for 2024-2025 Aid Year

The information you provide on the FAFSA is used by the Department of Education in a formula to determine Your Student Aid Index (SAI). The SAI is the approximate amount you and your family should be able to help pay your educational costs.

The FAFSA information and SAI are sent to the Office of Financial Aid to determine your financial need for need based financial aid programs. OFA determines your Cost of Attendance (COA) for the semesters you will be attending USF. Your COA minus your SAI determines your Financial Need.

OFA uses your financial need to award you need based financial aid funds (excluding Federal Direct Unsubsidized, PLUS and/or GradPLUS loans) for the school year.

Your SAI should be displayed in your FAFSA once it is completed. Follow the steps in the video below to see an example of where it is located.

Note: Your SAI is not the amount of money your family will have to pay for college nor is it the amount of federal student aid you will receive. It is a number used by your school to calculate the amount of federal student aid you are eligible to receive.