Submitting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the first step in the U.S. federal student financial aid process.

If you are attending a FFELP-eligible foreign school and want financial aid, you must submit a FAFSA and receive a Student Aid Report (SAR).

The FAFSA may be filed online. If filing online, you may download a two-page SAR within 24–48 hours of submitting the FAFSA.

When your FAFSA information is complete, your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) will be printed in the upper-right corner. Your EFC is based on the information you provide on the FAFSA; your school uses it to award your financial aid.

Getting your SAR mailed

To you

Please wait 24–48 hours after submitting your FAFSA online. Then call the Federal Student Aid Information Center at (800) 4-FED-AID or (800) 433-3243 and ask to have the full eight-page hardcopy of the SAR mailed to you. If you are asked about this request, tell them you are attending a foreign school and you will forward the eight-page, detailed SAR to the school.

If you need help filling out the FAFSA, visit the Department of Education's website.

To your school

Once you receive the eight-page SAR, you should send it, with a completed, signed Master Promissory Note (MPN) and any other loan applications, directly to your school's financial aid office. Your school will then certify your federal loan and return the documents to the address listed on the upper-right of the MPN.