Introduction to the Student Aid Report (SAR)

The Student Aid Report (SAR) is a summary of the information you entered on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).  The SAR also notifies you of your Expected Family Contribution (EFC), see EFG on right, and if you are eligible for a Pell Grant.

After completing your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), you should receive a SAR in 1-3 days if you filed electronically or 2-3 weeks if you filed a paper version.

Check immediately for:

• EFC (on upper right of pg. 1)

• Any mistakes or errors (pgs. 5-8)

Why is the SAR important?

• Your SAR is the form that tells you how much student aid you are eligible to receive from the federal government, and how much the government expects your family to pay.

What happens after I receive my SAR?

• Immediately check for any mistakes or errors.  Any colleges you listed on your FAFSA will also receive a copy of your SAR.  Notify your prospective school's aid office immediately to make corrections.  A delay could mean less aid.

What if I don't receive my SAR?

• Call 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243) if you do not receive your SAR in 3-4 weeks

When do I receive my aid:

• Once your prospective colleges review your SAR and verify your eligibility, they will each construct an aid package and send an award letter.  You do not need to accept all of the aid that's offered to you, accept only the aid you want.

Highlights of each page in your SAR:

1 - Intro:  Tracks the aid process for you.  If there is an asterisk

      next to your EFC, you have been selected for verification.

2 - Confidentiality info:  Includes other formal reminders.

3 - EFT, other info:  EFC is listed at the top, along with other

      information, such as issues affecting your aid eligibility.

4 - Summary of loans:  As a high school student, you probably

      do not have any loans yet.  If you have not taken out any \

      loans, the totals should read zero (0).

5-8 - FAFSA summary:  Review the summary.  Make

      corrections or changes in the spaces provided.  You can

      also make changes online at www.fafsa.ed.gov. 

SAR Information Acknowledgement:  A summary of your

      FAFSA.  If any information is wrong, financial or otherwise,

      you can correct it on pages 5 through 8 of the SAR or

      online.

Expected Family Contribution (EFC)

This EFC is the amount your family will be expected to pay based on your situation.  It is found on page 1 of your SAR.  

How is the EFC calculated?

The U.S. Department of Education uses the Federal Methodology (FM) to calculate your aid eligibility.  The FM takes into account: your family's income, the number of family members (in college or not), the net value of assets and your enrollment status, among other factors

Why is there an asterisk next to my EFC?

It means you have been selected for verification and must provide documents to your prospective college(s) to verify the information submitted on the FAFSA.  About 1 in 3 are selected.  If there is no asterisk, you have not been selected.

What should I do if I was selected for verification?

If your college asks for verifying documents, send them as soon as possible to avoid a delay in the aid process.

What if I find mistakes on my SAR?

Inform you prospective college(s) financial aid office of any mistakes.  Be sure to make corrections as soon as possible.  On the Web, using your PIN:  Go to www.fafsa.ed.gov and under "FAFSA Follow Up," click "Make Corrections to a Processed FAFSA."  You will be able to check off the items you want to change and make corrections accordingly.  On paper:  Flip to the last pages of the SAR and find your original FAFSA info.  Make changes in the spaces provided.  Only fill in the areas that need to be changed and/or corrected.  Once finished, you must mail it in.

Financial Planning Tool from Making It Count!

The Making College Financial Planning Count online tool provides an interactive overview of the college financing process.  You can work at your own pace and save your work as you go.

This free online program will help you:

• Plan for and manage college costs.

• Understand the FAFSA, including critical tips and deadline dates.

• Learn more about the types of financial aid available, including scholarships and grants.

• Create your own personal college funding strategy using our College Fundpath™ Worksheet.

This valuable tool can be accessed anytime at http://www.elearning.makingitcount.com.

An in-school, assembly-style version of this program is also available for high school students and their parents from September through April.  For more information, visit http://www.mcfc.makingitcount.com.