After Filing

When you submit the FAFSA, it goes to a processing center that handles millions of forms each year. At the processing center, your financial information is compared to federal guidelines and a SAR and EFC are generated for you.

The Student Aid Report (SAR)

You will receive an email or a paper form from the Department of Education a few days to four weeks after submitting the FAFSA. (Submitting online will expedite the process). The paper form you will receive is called the Student Aid Report (SAR). It contains the data you entered on the FAFSA. You should review it for any errors, and follow the instructions for submitting corrections if you find any. Submit corrections quickly or you’ll face a long wait to get corrections. Make sure you keep a copy of the SAR for your records.

Expected Family Contribution (EFC)

On the first page of the SAR, at the top-right, you'll find the Expected Family Contribution, or EFC. The EFC is the government’s assessment of the amount you and your family can spend for college costs. The EFC is also sent to your state scholarship agency and the colleges you listed on the FAFSA. These organizations will use the EFC to calculate your aid award.

If your EFC has an asterisk next to it, that means you have been randomly selected for a process called "verification." Your colleges will request copies of tax returns or other information to validate the information in your FAFSA. Be sure to furnish this information as soon as possible; you will not receive aid until you finish the verification process. If, for any reason, your FAFSA information does not match the forms requested, you should contact the Financial Aid Office immediately, they can help you resolve the situation.