Helpful Resources
All About the FAFSA
Where can I get a copy of the FAFSA?
Are photocopies of the FAFSA acceptable?
No.
I sent in my FAFSA over four weeks ago and haven’t got a response. What do I do?
If you submitted electronically, you should have received your SAR by now. Call the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-4-FED-AID. If you submitted by mail, wait a couple weeks before calling – FAFSAs submitted by mail can take up to 6 weeks to get a response.
Should I pay for help to fill out my FAFSA?
No, you don't need to. If you apply online at www.FAFSA.ed.gov, you get instructions for each question, and there is a live online chat too. You can also call the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-4-FED-AID.
What are all those abbreviations in the FAFSA?
- EFC Expected Family Contribution
- TI Total Income
- ATI Allowances Against Total Income
- STX State and Other Tax Allowance
- EA Employment Allowance
- IPA Income Protection Allowance
- CAI Contribution from Available Income (Independent Student)
- DNW Discretionary Net Worth
- APA Education Savings and Asset Protection Allowance
- PCA Parents' Contribution from Assets
- AAI Adjusted Available Income
- TPC Total Parents' Contribution
- TSC Total Student's Contribution
- PC Parents' Contribution
- SIC Dependent Student's Income Contribution
- SCA Dependent Student's Contribution from Assets
Why is the family contribution on my SAR different than the one from my university?
The government formula for computing the expected family contribution is different from that of many universities. One common difference is that the federal formula does not consider home equity as part of the assets.
