Student Aid Report (SAR)

What does a student aid report look like?

There are five key pieces of information in your FAFSA® SAR that you should pay the most attention to: Expected Family Contribution, verification, Data Release Number, loan summary, and FAFSA changes.

Expected Family Contribution (EFC)

Your EFC within your SAR is an index number that colleges use to determine how much financial aid you’re eligible to receive. Your EFC is calculated according to a formula established by law and the information from your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Verification

If there’s an asterisk next to your EFC, it means your student aid report requires further verification.

Data Release Number (DRN)

A Data Release Number (DRN) is a four-digit number given to your application by Federal Student Aid. You can provide your DRN to a customer service agent if you need certain changes made to your FAFSA information. Do not give your DRN to anyone other than a financial aid administrator or customer service agent.

Loan summary

The loan summary on your SAR is where any of your outstanding federal student loans will be listed.

FAFSA changes

You’ll have the chance to correct any information that was wrong on your FAFSA.

How and when you’ll receive your student aid report

You’ll receive your student aid report depending on how you submitted your FAFSA®.

If you provided an email address when you submitted your FAFSA®, you can expect to receive your FAFSA® SAR within a few days of electronically filing.

If you filed a paper FAFSA®, you should receive your SAR via postal mail in three to four weeks.

Why your SAR is important

It’s important to have an accurate student aid report since your financial aid awards are based on the information listed on your report. Review it carefully with your family and compare the information listed to a copy of your FAFSA®. The EFC listed on your student aid report will determine the amount of aid you’ll receive.

If you think any of the information on your report is incorrect, correct it by using the Information Review Form on the back of the SAR or by going to the official FAFSA® website.