Federal Need, sometimes referred to as financial need, is the amount of financial aid a student can receive if they are receiving federal aid. To calculate a students Federal Need, their Student Aid Index is subtracted from their Cost of Attendance.

For example:

Cost of Attendance $29,684 - SAI $3,108 = Federal Need $26,576. This means that the student may receive up to $26,576 in need-based aid, but can receive up to 29,684 in total aid.