FAFSA Processing Timetable
How long will it take for your FAFSA to process?
It depends on how your FAFSA was submitted, how it was signed and if you provided a valid email address. See the chart below for an estimate:
After processing, you receive your Student Aid Report (SAR), which summarizes the information you provided on your FAFSA, and HESC and the colleges listed on your FAFSA receive this information in the form of an Institutional Student Information Record (ISIR) in electronic format.
If you don’t receive your SAR within the estimated timeframe, you can check on the status by logging in at studentaid.gov with your FSA ID, name, Social Security Number, and date of birth, or by calling the Federal Student Aid Information Center (FSAIC) at 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243).
It depends on how your FAFSA was submitted, how it was signed and if you provided a valid email address. See the chart below for an estimate:
| How did you file the FAFSA? |
Online |
Online |
Online |
Online |
Mail |
Mail |
| Did you sign the FAFSA with FSA IDs? |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
No |
| Did you provide a valid email address on the FAFSA? |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
No |
| When you will receive your SAR: |
3-5 days |
7-10 days |
2 weeks |
2 weeks |
2 weeks |
3 weeks |
| Type of SAR you will receive: |
Link by email |
Paper SAR acknowledgement by mail |
Link by email |
Paper by mail |
Link by email |
Paper by mail |
After processing, you receive your Student Aid Report (SAR), which summarizes the information you provided on your FAFSA, and HESC and the colleges listed on your FAFSA receive this information in the form of an Institutional Student Information Record (ISIR) in electronic format.
If you don’t receive your SAR within the estimated timeframe, you can check on the status by logging in at studentaid.gov with your FSA ID, name, Social Security Number, and date of birth, or by calling the Federal Student Aid Information Center (FSAIC) at 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243).