The SAI cutoff for Pell in 2026-27, and who it hits
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Start the aid checkFrom 2026-27, a Student Aid Index of 14,790 or more means no Pell Grant. That’s twice the $7,395 maximum award, a ceiling added by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Source · FSA Handbook 2026-27, Vol. 7, Ch. 2
The cutoff applies to every route into Pell, including the income lines that used to guarantee an award. The one exception is the Special Rule for children of certain deceased service members and public safety officers.
Your SAI puts you in one of four Pell zones
Pell comes three ways: the maximum by income, the minimum by income, or a calculated award of the maximum minus your SAI. Source · FSA Handbook 2026-27, Vol. 7, Ch. 2 Read together with the cutoff, they split the SAI scale into four zones.
| Your SAI | Pell for 2026-27 |
|---|---|
| 0 or below | The maximum, $7,395 |
| 1 to 6,655 | $7,395 minus your SAI, rounded to the nearest $5 |
| 6,656 to 14,789 | Only by income: at least $740 if your income is under the minimum-Pell line, otherwise none |
| 14,790 or more | None, whatever your income |
In the second zone every dollar of SAI takes a dollar off the award. The chart shows the slope.
The cutoff hits low-income households with high SAIs
Most families with an SAI near 14,790 have incomes well above the Pell lines, so the cutoff changes little for them. It matters most when income is low but something else pushes the SAI up.
Low income, low SAI
Most Pell recipients
- Income
- Under a Pell income line
- SAI
- Under 14,790
- Pell in 2026-27
- Unchanged: the maximum or minimum by income
Low income, high SAI
For example, sizable assets
- Income
- Under a Pell income line
- SAI
- 14,790 or more
- Pell in 2026-27
- None. The income line no longer overrides the SAI
Higher income
Above both lines
- Income
- Above the minimum-Pell line
- SAI
- Over 6,655
- Pell in 2026-27
- None, as before
The FAFSA counts assets like savings and investments in the SAI, with exclusions such as retirement accounts and your home. Source · 2026-27 SAI and Pell Eligibility Guide Our SAI guide walks through what goes in.
Free Pell and FAFSA plan
See where your income lands on the Pell lines
Two answers show whether your household is under the maximum or minimum Pell income line.
Over the cutoff? Other aid still counts
A high SAI ends Pell, not federal aid. Federal Direct Loans don’t depend on your SAI, and many state and school grants use their own tests. File the FAFSA anyway, because it is the application for all of them.
If your SAI is high because of a change since the tax year the FAFSA reads, such as a job loss or a large one-time expense, ask your aid office for a special circumstances review. Our guide to asking your school to redo your aid shows how.
Frequently asked questions
What SAI do you need to get Pell in 2026-27?
Under 14,790. Below 6,656, Pell is the maximum minus your SAI. Between those numbers, Pell comes only through the minimum-Pell income line.
Does the cutoff apply if my income is under the maximum-Pell line?
Yes. From 2026-27, an applicant with an SAI of 14,790 or more is ineligible for Pell, whatever the income test shows.
Can my SAI be negative?
Yes. The SAI can go as low as -1,500, and any SAI of zero or below gets the maximum Pell.
Your next step is your own SAI
The zone you’re in comes down to one number. The SAI Calculator works it out with the federal formula before you file.
Find out which side of the cutoff you're on
The SAI Calculator uses the federal formula, so you see your zone before you file.
Calculate my SAIFree Pell and FAFSA plan
See where your income lands on the Pell lines
Two answers show whether your household is under the maximum or minimum Pell income line.
Sources
Every figure in this guide comes from one of these pages. How we check sources
Related Resources
Student Aid Index (SAI) Explained: The 2026-27 Formula
Your SAI runs from -1,500 to 999,999 and is not a bill. For 2026-27, an SAI of 0 or less means the maximum $7,395 Pell. How the formula works, step by step.
Pell Grant Income Limits 2026-27 and 2027-28 by Family Size
For 2026-27, a family of four gets the maximum Pell Grant with 2024 AGI up to $54,600, or $70,200 for a single parent. Every limit by family size.
Will Pell go up in 2027-28? What Congress has proposed
Congress has not set the 2027-28 Pell maximum. A House bill would raise it $50 to $7,445; the President's budget keeps $7,395. What decides it, and when.