… Students living on their own (or with a spouse or family of their own) will have higher estimated costs than students who live with and receive support from their parent(s). The results of your FAFSA (or CADAA) determine your … Student Aid Index (SAI) … . The SAI is the amount the government estimates you (and your parents, if you needed their information for your FAFSA/CADAA) can contribute to the cost of attending college. To determine the amount of financial aid you qualify for, we use the following formula: … COA – SAI = Unmet need … Financial aid reduces your unmet need, which is the gap between your Cost of …