Understanding the Student Aid Report (SAR) and Its Importance

As of June 2024, the Department of Education has received and processed more than 11 million Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) submissions for the 2024-25 award year. But with all of the changes that launched for this application cycle, the next steps after submitting a FAFSA form might be unclear.

In years past, students would receive a Student Aid Report (SAR), which gave a glimpse into their federal financial aid eligibility and a record of their form responses. However, the SAR has been replaced by the FAFSA Submission Summary.

Here's what to know about the FAFSA Submission Summary and how to read it.

What is a Student Aid Report (SAR)?

The FAFSA Student Aid Report, which was replaced by the FAFSA Submission Summary for 2024-25, offers students an overview of the information they entered when they applied for federal financial aid. It provides an opportunity to review responses to the questions in the FAFSA application form and make any necessary corrections.

It also provides a peek into the types of federal aid programs you might qualify for based on your Student Aid Index (SAI). The SAI replaced the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) for the 2024-25 academic year. Schools that are listed on your FAFSA use your information and SAI to determine the makeup of your financial aid package and the award amounts.

What information is included in the SAR?

On a SAR, now known as the FAFSA Submission Summary, you'll find details like the date your application was received and processed, and your data release number, which is a four-digit number issued by the Department of Education. The FAFSA Submission Summary also includes the following:

• Student Aid Index (SAI): Schools use this figure to calculate how much aid you're eligible for.
• Your financial aid eligibility: It estimates whether you might be eligible for aid like the Pell Grant, work-study, and Direct Loans.
• FAFSA response summary: The FAFSA Submission Summary provides an overview of each FAFSA question and the information you entered on your application. Depending on whether you're a dependent vs. independent undergraduate student, this section might include your parent's responses, too.
• To-do checklist: If there are additional tasks you need to complete, you'll find a to-do list in the FAFSA Submission Summary.

How to read your FAFSA Submission Summary

Students who submit a FAFSA for 2024-25 or later will receive a FAFSA Submission Summary, which looks different from a traditional SAR. It has four main components, which are organized into tabs:

• Eligibility Overview: This section shows your estimated eligibility for federal aid and the predicted amounts. In addition to federal student loans, you may see grants and the federal work-study program listed.
• FAFSA Form Answers: You can find a summary of the answers you provided on your FAFSA form in this tab. You can review the responses for accuracy. If you find errors, click the "Make a Correction" button.
• School Information: This tab displays a list of schools you selected to receive your FAFSA information. It provides data you can use to compare outcomes and costs at each school, like graduation, retention, transfer, and default rates; students' median debt upon graduating; and average annual cost.
• Next Steps: The final part of your FAFSA Submission Summary is a list of action items you must complete, as well as helpful information. For example, you may need to provide additional supporting documentation to your school.

Understanding the Student Aid Index

In past years, the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) — now called the Student Aid Index on the FAFSA Submission Summary — was a source of confusion and stress for some families. Understandably, the SAI was misinterpreted as being the amount that parents or families were required to pay toward their student's upcoming school year.

In reality, the SAI is simply a gauge of your family's financial standing, based on factors like income, assets, and family size. Schools use your SAI to determine the types of financial aid you qualify for and to calculate award amounts.

How to correct or update your SAR

As soon as you receive your SAR, or FAFSA Submission Summary, go over the information in it to ensure everything is accurate. Errors on your FAFSA Submission Summary can adversely impact your federal student aid eligibility or result in delays. For example, you might've entered the wrong Social Security number, and only noticed after filing your FAFSA.

Generally, you can make minor edits by logging in to your StudentAid.gov account, selecting the year's FAFSA submission under "My Activity" in the dashboard, and making your changes. If you received a paper FAFSA Submission Summary in the mail, make the change, sign the correction, and mail the form back. Another option is going directly to your chosen school and asking them to make the correction on your behalf.

Using your SAR to plan for financial aid

Remember, although there are some federal student aid programs exclusively for students with financial need, not all student aid options have FAFSA income limits. Even if your Student Aid Report, or FAFSA Submission Summary, shows a higher SAI, that doesn't mean filling out the FAFSA was pointless.

It can help you get a rough sense of the federal student aid types you might qualify for and up to what amount, and flag any pending information schools might need to finalize your financial aid package.

Thoroughly read through your FAFSA Submission Summary for accuracy and take action on next steps as soon as possible. If there are no immediate requests for information you need to provide, your next step is waiting for schools that accept you to send you their financial aid offers.