After your FAFSA is processed, you will be emailed a Student Aid Report (SAR) from the U.S. Department of Education within 3-5 days. The SAR contains the information you provided on your FAFSA and a calculation of your Expected Family Contribution (EFC). You can access your SAR and make corrections at www.fafsa.ed.gov with your Federal Student PIN.
Your complete, correct SAR will have your EFC (Expected Family Contribution). This number is a measure of your financial strength and used to determine your federal student aid eligibility. Make sure you review the SAR for accuracy and make corrections if necessary. It's possible that you may be requested to provide additional information before your Expected Family Contribution can be calculated.
Frequently Asked Questions
Once my SAR is correct and complete, how do I find out if I'm eligible and what aid I'll receive?
Contact the financial aid office of the school(s) you're interested in or plan to attend. If you're eligible for aid, each school will send you an award letter, telling you the types of aid it will offer and how much you can receive.
My SAR indicates that my application has been selected for "Verification". What is that?
The federal government uses a process called verification to help determine the correctness of the financial information on your FAFSA. If your application needs to be verified, there will be an asterisk (*) to the right of the EFC and written comments on the SAR indicating what actions you need to take to complete the verification process. Your electronic record will also indicate that verification must be completed before any federal student aid payments are made. If your application is selected for verification, or if there are any other questions about your application, the financial aid office will send you a letter asking you to provide documentation of your SAR information and complete a "Verification Worksheet". You will have to submit copies of U.S. Income Tax returns and other requested items before you receive any payments of federal student aid.
What do I do with my SAR?
Review it carefully to make sure it's correct and complete. If it is and if it contains your Expected Family Contribution (EFC). The schools listed on your FAFSA will appear on your SAR, they'll receive your SAR information electronically.
What if I don't get a SAR Acknowledgement or SAR, or I need another copy of that form?
If you do not receive your SAR Acknowledgement within two weeks or SAR within four weeks after submitting your application, call the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243). You can use the automated system to find out whether your application has been processed or to request duplicate copies of your report. You will need to provide your Social Security Number and the first two letters of your last name. You can also check the status of your FAFSA and print a copy of your SAR at www.fafsa.ed.gov.
What if I later want to add or change schools?
You can make changes online with your PIN or you can call the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1 800-433-3243.
How do I make changes or corrections to my Student Aid Report (SAR)?
If you need to make corrections to the SAR, you can make them online, or you can usually make corrections to a paper SAR, if you received one. Your SAR will contain instructions on how to make corrections. You can make a few changes to your SAR information by calling the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243). You can change your address, the names of schools that you want to receive your FAFSA information and answers concerning a drug conviction.
What is the Data Release Number (DRN)?
The Data Release Number (DRN) is required to make certain changes associated with the FAFSA you filed. You can make corrections to your mailing address and/or to the schools you listed to receive your FAFSA data. Just call the U.S. Department of Education's Federal Student Aid Information Center (1-800-4-FED-AID [1-800-433-3243]). The DRN also allows you to release your FAFSA data to schools you did not list on your original FAFSA. The DRN is printed in the lower left-hand corner of your Student Aid Report (SAR)
