FAFSA confusion: Is the SAI number the same as SAR? Can't find my actual financial aid amount

SAR stands for Student Aid Report, it's the entire document that has your SAI (Student Aid Index) on it. The SAI is just one number on the SAR. When your college asks for your SAR, they want the full report, not just the number. You can download your complete SAR from studentaid.gov under your documents.

To clarify what the previous person said, the SAR (Student Aid Report) is the complete document that summarizes all the information from your FAFSA application. Within that document, you'll find your SAI (Student Aid Index), which is the number that replaced the old EFC (Expected Family Contribution). To download your SAR: 1. Log in to studentaid.gov 2. On your dashboard, look for "You can now view your Student Aid Report (SAR)" 3. Click on that link 4. You'll see a PDF option to download the full report Your college needs this full document, not just the SAI number, because the SAR contains other important information about your eligibility for different types of financial aid.

Colleges always need the full SAR because it contains all eligibility info not just the SAI number. Some schools also look at other data points in the SAR to award institutional aid. Make sure you send the WHOLE document not just the number!

omg i had the SAME confusion last month!!! I thought the SAI was all they needed but turns out the SAR has verification codes and eligibility info they need too. The whole new system is so confusing, like why couldnt they just keep it the same???

Has anyone else been trying to call the Federal Student Aid helpline to ask these questions? I've been on hold for literally 2+ hours every time I call and sometimes get disconnected. Found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that holds your place in line and calls you back when an agent is available. Saved me so much time! They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ

In my day we didn't have all these confusing acronyms and systems! My son just went through this whole process and I swear they make it complicated on purpose. He had to send his SAR to 3 different departments because nobody seemed to know who needed it!

I'd like to emphasize that the SAI (Student Aid Index) is just one component of your SAR (Student Aid Report). The SAI replaced the old EFC (Expected Family Contribution) but serves a similar purpose - it's a number that helps colleges determine how much financial need you have. The full SAR contains: - Your SAI number - Verification selection status - Pell Grant eligibility - Loan eligibility information - FAFSA data verification flags - Comments about your application status Colleges need all this information to create your complete financial aid package. So yes, always provide the full SAR when requested.

wait do we still have to do the CSS Profile too? or is SAR enough for most schools? this is all so confusing

Just wanted to add that if you're having trouble finding your SAR on studentaid.gov, make sure your FAFSA has been fully processed first! I made the mistake of looking for it right after submitting my FAFSA, but it takes a few days to a week for processing to complete. You'll get an email when it's ready, and then you can access the full SAR document. Also, some colleges have their own student portals where they'll display your SAI number once they receive your FAFSA data, but that's different from the official SAR document you download from the federal site.

This thread has been so helpful! I just want to add one more tip for anyone still confused - when you're on studentaid.gov, look for the section that says "View and Print Student Aid Report" or something similar. Sometimes the wording changes slightly but it's usually pretty prominent on your dashboard once your FAFSA is processed. Also, if your college's financial aid office is asking for your SAR via their online portal, you can usually upload the PDF directly rather than printing and mailing it. Most schools have moved to digital submission which is way faster. Just make sure the file name is clear (like "LastName_FirstName_SAR_2024-25.pdf") so they can easily identify it in their system. The whole SAI vs SAR confusion is totally understandable - even my college's financial aid counselor had to explain it to me twice before it clicked!