FAFSA confusion - daughter received report but nothing in my email?
My daughter just texted me saying she got her Student Aid Report through her email but I haven't received anything in my inbox. I thought parents were supposed to get something too? I definitely put my email address in when I filled out the parent portion with my FSA ID. It's been 4 days since she submitted her FAFSA. Is this normal or did I mess something up? Do they send separate emails to parents or am I supposed to log in somewhere to see my own copy? I'm worried I missed something important.
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Isabella Santos
Parents don't automatically get copies of the SAR (Student Aid Report). It's primarily sent to the student since they're the applicant. You can view it by logging into studentaid.gov with YOUR FSA ID, then navigate to the "My Documents" section. You should be able to see all the forms associated with your daughter if you're listed as a contributor on her FAFSA.
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Malik Davis
•Thank you! I didn't realize I needed to log in separately. I thought they'd just email everything to both of us automatically. Will check the website.
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Ravi Gupta
same thing happened with my son last year. they only send it to the student unless you specifically request it somehow. kinda annoying tbh
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GalacticGuru
•Actually the system is designed this way intentionally. Since students 18+ are considered adults, financial aid communication is primarily directed to them, even though parents are often helping. Privacy regulations (FERPA) also come into play here. The student can always forward the SAR to parents if needed.
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Freya Pedersen
Just to clarify a few things about FAFSA communications: 1. The Student Aid Report (SAR) is sent only to the student's email address 2. Parents/contributors need to log in with their own FSA ID to see documents 3. Even as a contributor, you'll only see certain portions related to your information 4. The calculated Student Aid Index (SAI) appears on the student's SAR, not yours 5. Watch for notification emails that tell you when action is needed This is by design, as the financial aid process is ultimately between the student and their schools. Your daughter can download the full PDF of her SAR and share it with you if needed.
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Malik Davis
•This is so helpful, thank you! I was getting worried because we're applying for Parent PLUS loans too, and I thought I might have missed something important. I'll ask my daughter to forward me her SAR.
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Omar Fawaz
THE WHOLE FAFSA PARENT THING IS A MESS!!! I spent THREE HOURS on hold trying to figure out why I couldn't see my son's information last month! They make everything unnecessarily complicated and then wonder why people get frustrated!!
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Chloe Anderson
•Have you tried using Claimyr to get through to FAFSA faster? It saved me hours of waiting on hold. Their system calls Federal Student Aid and then calls you when an agent is on the line. I used it when we had verification issues. You can check them out at claimyr.com - they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ
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Diego Vargas
Hi there! This confused me too when we were going through the process with my twins. The student is considered the primary applicant, so they get the main communications. As others mentioned, you'll need to login to studentaid.gov with your FSA ID to see any documents. One thing to remember - if your daughter is selected for verification (which happens randomly to about 30% of applicants), both you and your daughter will need to submit additional documentation. In that case, you might get separate emails asking for your tax information. So keep an eye on both inboxes and the studentaid.gov portal in the coming weeks!
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Malik Davis
•Oh no, I hope we don't get selected for verification. Is there anything I should do to prepare just in case? We filed taxes electronically and used the IRS Data Retrieval Tool.
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Diego Vargas
•Using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool was smart! That actually reduces the chances of being selected for verification. But if it does happen, just have these documents ready: - Your 2023 tax return - W-2 forms for you and your spouse (if applicable) - Any 1099 forms showing additional income - Records of untaxed income (like child support or veterans benefits) The verification is just to confirm the information is accurate. Since you used the DRT, it should be pretty straightforward if you're selected.
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Ravi Gupta
my daughters school made her redo the fafsa twice and i never got any emails about it either time lol
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Isabella Santos
It's also worth noting that for the 2025-2026 FAFSA, FSA has made some changes to their communication system. They now send more updates to the student's portal inbox rather than email. Have your daughter check her studentaid.gov message center regularly, as important notices might be there rather than in email. The system has been a bit inconsistent this year with the rollout of the new FAFSA.
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Malik Davis
•Good to know! I'll make sure she checks that too. Is there any way for me to get access to see those messages or does she need to share them with me?
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Isabella Santos
•She'll need to share those with you. Under FERPA (privacy laws), they can't give you direct access to her messages. Some families set up a shared email address specifically for college/financial aid stuff to make this easier, but that's more useful before submitting applications. At this point, your daughter will need to either forward messages or take screenshots to share them with you.
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