Where do I find my complete official Student Aid Report (SAR) for scholarship applications as a non-traditional student?

You can access your complete Student Aid Report (SAR) directly through studentaid.gov! Log into your account, go to your FAFSA application, and look for "View SAR" or "View Processed Information." The complete SAR will show your SAI (Student Aid Index, formerly EFC) and all the information you submitted. The scholarships want this because it verifies your financial need has been officially assessed. Make sure you're downloading the full report (usually 5+ pages) and not just the SAR Acknowledgement (which is only 1 page). Good luck with your educational journey - it's wonderful to see non-traditional students pursuing their dreams!

When I went back to school at 48 I had the EXACT same question lol. It's kinda buried in the website. Log in, click on your FAFSA application, then look for something that says view or print your SAR. Download that PDF and that's what they want. The full thing shows your SAI score and all your answers.

The Student Aid Report (SAR) is what they want - it shows your SAI calculation and eligibility. BUT make sure you're getting the COMPLETE report, not just the summary. Some scholarships specifically check if you submitted the full SAR with all the details or just the abbreviated version. The full version will have ALL your answers from the FAFSA application including family contribution info. You can download it directly from studentaid.gov after logging in.

Just went through this whole process with my mom who's 49 and going back for her nursing degree!! So proud of all you non-traditional students!!! The scholarship people want the long version of your SAR that shows everything. Good luck with school!!!

I was trying to get my SAR for a scholarship last month and kept getting stuck in an endless loop on studentaid.gov. I'd log in, click on my FAFSA application, but the "View SAR" button wasn't showing up. After THREE DAYS of trying different browsers and clearing cache, I discovered that the system was glitching because my application was still processing. Has your FAFSA been fully processed? You'll see a confirmation and SAI score when it's done.

If ur having trouble getting thru on the website to see ur SAR try calling the Federal Student Aid center directly. I tried for DAYS to access mine but kept getting errors. I finally used Claimyr.com to get through to someone at FSA without waiting on hold forever. They have a video demo showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ. The agent was able to tell me exactly where to find my complete SAR and even resent the notification email. Saved me tons of stress!

As someone who reviews scholarship applications for a non-traditional student fund, I can tell you exactly what we're looking for. The complete SAR contains: 1. Your personal information 2. Your SAI (Student Aid Index) score 3. The complete financial information you submitted 4. Any comments or flags on your application To access it: Log into studentaid.gov → My Documents → View the most recent FAFSA submission → Download/Print PDF of complete Student Aid Report. It's typically 5-8 pages, depending on your situation. Make sure you're getting the full version, as the summary version won't meet most scholarship requirements.

my dauhter told me i needed 2 submit my taxes before i could get the full SAR is that right? i havent done my taxes yet this year

Just adding that once you get your complete SAR, make a few extra copies (or save multiple digital copies). You'll likely need it for other scholarship applications too. Nearly all the scholarships I applied for as a returning student required the SAR. And congratulations on going back to school! I finished my degree at 55 and it was one of the best decisions I ever made.

has anyone had trouble where the SAR still shows the old school they applied to before? my mom changed her school code but her SAR still shows both schools and its confusing the scholarship people

Just wanted to share my experience as another non-traditional student! I went back at 45 and had the same confusion about the SAR. One thing that helped me was bookmarking the direct link to my SAR once I found it - the studentaid.gov site can be tricky to navigate. Also, if you're applying to multiple scholarships, I'd recommend creating a folder on your computer specifically for financial aid documents. You'll probably need your SAR, tax transcripts, and other documents for various applications. The scholarship journey can feel overwhelming at first, but you've got this! There are so many resources available for non-traditional students, and it sounds like you're already on the right track. Best of luck with your studies starting in May!

I just wanted to chime in as someone who works in a college financial aid office - we see this question all the time! The complete SAR is definitely what scholarship committees are looking for, and it sounds like everyone has given you great guidance on accessing it through studentaid.gov. One additional tip: if you're having trouble finding it or the site is being glitchy, you can also contact your school's financial aid office directly. Once your FAFSA processes and sends information to your school, they can usually help you access your SAR or even print a copy for you if needed. Many schools are really good about helping non-traditional students navigate these processes since they know it can be confusing the first time around. Also, don't feel silly asking these questions - the financial aid process is genuinely complicated and even 18-year-olds with college-educated parents struggle with it!

Congratulations on taking this exciting step back into education! As a fellow non-traditional student (I returned at 47), I completely understand the confusion around navigating financial aid documents. From my experience, the key is making sure your FAFSA has fully processed first - you'll see your SAI (Student Aid Index) displayed on your dashboard when it's complete. Once processed, log into studentaid.gov, go to "My Aid" and look for "View or Print Student Aid Report." The complete SAR you need for scholarships is typically 5-7 pages and includes all your financial information and your calculated SAI. Don't worry if it takes a few tries to find - the website layout isn't the most intuitive! Also, I'd suggest saving multiple copies once you get it, as most non-traditional student scholarships require it. You're doing great by starting this process early. The scholarship opportunities for students like us are really worth pursuing!

I'm another non-traditional student (started back at 44) and I remember being so confused by all the different documents too! One thing that really helped me was understanding the timeline - your FAFSA needs to be completely processed before you can access the full SAR. You'll know it's ready when you see your SAI number clearly displayed on your dashboard. The processing can take anywhere from 3-10 days depending on how busy they are. Since your scholarship deadline is in 3 weeks, you should have plenty of time once it processes. When you do get access, look for the "View or Print Student Aid Report" option - it's usually under a section called "My Documents" or "My Aid." The document you want will be the longest one (5+ pages) and will have your complete financial picture. Also, pro tip: once you download it, rename the file something like "YourName_SAR_2024-25" so you can easily find it later when applying to other scholarships. You've got this! Going back to school at any age takes courage, and you're already doing all the right things by getting your financial aid sorted early.

Welcome to the non-traditional student club! I went back to school at 39 and completely understand the SAR confusion. Everyone has given you excellent advice here - definitely wait for your FAFSA to show "processed" status with your SAI visible before trying to access the full report. One thing I'll add that helped me: when you finally get to the SAR download page, there might be multiple options like "SAR Acknowledgment" and "Student Aid Report." The scholarship committees want the longer "Student Aid Report" - it's the one that shows all your FAFSA answers and financial details. Also, don't stress about the 3-week deadline! FAFSA processing has gotten much faster, and even if there are delays, most scholarship committees understand that financial aid processing is beyond your control. Many will accept your SAR even if it arrives a few days after the initial deadline, as long as you communicate with them. You're doing everything right by starting early and asking the right questions. The fact that you're pursuing education at 52 is absolutely inspiring!

Hey Sofia! I'm so excited to see another non-traditional student taking the plunge - you're going to do amazing! I went back to school at 41 and had the exact same SAR confusion. Just wanted to add one more tip that saved me a lot of headaches: once you get your complete SAR downloaded, I'd recommend emailing a copy to yourself as backup. I learned this the hard way when my computer crashed right before a scholarship deadline and I couldn't remember my studentaid.gov password! Also, if you're applying to multiple scholarships (which I highly recommend - there are SO many great opportunities for students like us), consider creating a simple spreadsheet to track which ones you've applied to and their requirements. Some want just the SAR, others want additional tax documents too. The organization really helps when you're juggling deadlines. You've got this, grandma! Starting in May is going to be such an adventure, and your life experience is going to be such an asset in your studies. Can't wait to hear about your college journey!

As a fellow non-traditional student who just went through this exact process last year at age 56, I wanted to share what finally worked for me! After struggling with the studentaid.gov website for days, I discovered that clearing my browser cache and trying a different browser (switched from Chrome to Firefox) made all the difference. Sometimes the site just doesn't play well with certain browsers or cached data. Also, I found the best time to access the site was early morning (around 6-7 AM) when there's less traffic - the site seemed much more responsive then. Once your FAFSA shows "Processed" status, the SAR should be available under "View or Print Student Aid Report" in your dashboard. Make sure to download the PDF version that's 5+ pages - that's the complete report scholarships need. One last tip: if you're still having trouble, try accessing the site from your phone's browser instead of your computer. For some reason, the mobile version was more reliable for me! You're doing something incredible by going back to school, and don't let technical difficulties discourage you from this amazing journey!

Sofia, congratulations on taking this amazing step! I'm 47 and just finished my first semester back in school, so I completely understand the SAR confusion. Everyone here has given you fantastic advice - I just wanted to add that if you're still having trouble accessing your complete SAR after it processes, don't hesitate to call the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-433-3243. I had to call them when my SAR wasn't showing up properly, and they were incredibly patient and helpful with walking me through the exact steps. They can even email you a copy if the website is being glitchy. Also, once you get your SAR, I'd suggest taking a screenshot of the main page that shows your SAI number - some scholarship applications ask you to just provide that specific number rather than uploading the entire document. You're going to do wonderfully in school! There's something really special about pursuing education when you truly want to be there, and your dedication is already showing through how thoroughly you're preparing. Best of luck with your scholarship applications!

Sofia, your determination to go back to school at 52 is absolutely inspiring! I'm a financial aid counselor and I see this question frequently from non-traditional students. The confusion is totally understandable - the SAR process isn't intuitive at all. Just to reinforce what others have shared: you'll want to wait for your FAFSA to show "Processed" status with your SAI clearly visible on your dashboard. Then look for "View or Print Student Aid Report" - the complete version will be 5-7 pages and include all your financial details and eligibility information. One thing I tell all my non-traditional students: don't hesitate to reach out to your school's financial aid office if you get stuck. We're here to help and we know this process can be overwhelming, especially when you're managing it alongside work, family, and other responsibilities. You're already demonstrating exactly the kind of proactive approach that leads to success in college. May is going to be here before you know it, and you're going to do amazingly well!