Most federal aid is need-based and eligibility is based on the student's ability to document need. All students are awarded aid using the same method. In determining a student's eligibility for federal aid, a school takes the cost of attendance or budget minus the Student Aid Index (SAI) to establish a student's documented need.
Budget - Student Aid Index= Financial Need
Cost of Attendance/Budget
The cost of attendance, also referred to as the budget, is an estimate of what it costs for a student to attend for the nine-month academic year and includes allowances for:
- Tuition and fees
- Room and board (housing and meals)
- Books and supplies
- Transportation
- Miscellaneous expenses (e.g. laundry, personal hygiene)
With very few exceptions, the budget is the maximum amount of aid that a student can receive while attending Buffalo State. The Cost of Attendance pages show the actual budgets used for undergraduate and graduate students.
Student Aid Index (SAI)
Once you submit your FAFSA, you (the student) will receive a FAFSA Submission Summary (FSS), formerly called the Student Aid Report (SAR). The FSS summarizes the information you reported on the FAFSA and will provide your Student Aid Index (SAI), which replaces the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) component used in prior years. Schools will use the SAI to determine your eligibility for federal financial aid.
Awarding Examples
Below are examples of aid packages at three different schools that have significantly different costs. The student's SAI is the same regardless of what type of institution they attend, but since the budget varies, the student's financial need also varies at each institution.
| Description | Community College | State University | Private College |
| Cost of Attendance | $10,000 | $22,000 | $40,000 |
| Student Aid Index (SAI) | ($1,000) | ($1,000) | ($1,000) |
| Need (COA-SAI) | $9,000 | $21,000 | $39,000 |
| Financial Aid that Reduces Need | |||
| Merit Scholarship | $0 | $1,000 | $8,000 |
| Pell Grant | $4,800 | $4,800 | $4,800 |
| NYS TAP Grant | $3,900 | $3,900 | $3,900 |
| SUNY Tuition Credit | $0 | $500 | $0 |
| Subsidized Loan | $300 | $3,500 | $3,500 |
| Economic Grant | $0 | $0 | $8,000 |
| Total Need-Based Aid | $9,000 | $13,700 | $28,200 |
| Non Need-Based Aid | |||
| Unsubsidized Loan | $0 | $2,000 | $2,000 |
| Total Aid Offered | $9,000 | $15,700 | $30,200 |
| Unmet need | $0 | $7,300 | $10,800 |