The Student Aid Report

Your Student Aid Report (SAR) takes all of the information from your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA^®) and calculates your Expected Family Contribution (EFC). Your EFC is what schools use to calculate how much financial aid you may be eligible to receive.

When do I receive my SAR?

Generally, you will receive your SAR 3–5 days after filing your FAFSA electronically. If filed by mail, it can take up to 3 weeks to receive it. If you do not receive your SAR within the expected time frame, you can check the status online at fafsa.ed.gov or contact the Federal Student Aid office here.

What is included?

In addition to all the information from your FAFSA and your EFC, your SAR contains:

• A four-digit Data Release Number (DRN) used to make changes or release your information to schools
  
• Graduation, retention and transfer rates of any colleges that you listed on your FAFSA
  
• An estimate of your federal student loan eligibility
  
• Instructions on how to resolve any issues

What happens next?

Carefully review your SAR and compare it with what you filed on the FAFSA. If you need to make a correction, you can:

• Update your information online at fafsa.ed.gov.
  
• Make updates on your paper SAR, sign it and mail it to the address listed on the SAR.
  
• Check with your intended school's financial aid office to see if the school can make the change for you.
• File a copy of your SAR with your other financial aid documents.

You will start to receive your financial aid award letters from colleges generally beginning in March. 

^{The SAR contains only information about federal student aid (e.g., grants, scholarships, federal student loans) available through the FAFSA. Discover Student Loans only makes private loans.}