The Student Aid Index (SAI) is the key metric that colleges use to calculate your financial need as a relates to providing financial aid packages. The Student Aid Index (SAI) replaced the Expected ...

For students starting a new program on/after July 1, 2026, loans will be capped at $20,000 annually, and parents can borrow no more than $65,000 total, a big change from the unlimited borrowing setup.

Private student loan interest rates could soften, but federal loans are still a better option for most borrowers.