GET STARTED

 

 

 

 

 

STEP 1: ELIGIBILITY

To receive financial aid you must complete the FAFSA or TASFA.

 

 

 

Qualifies for federal aid:

 

 

 

FAFSA Eligibility Requirements
  • U.S. citizen
  • U.S. national
  • Permanent Resident (Green Card holder)
  • Refugee or asylum granted
  • Cuban-Haitian Entrant
  • T visa holder or child of a T 1 visa holder
  • Battered immigrant status

Qualifies for state aid in place of the FAFSA:

 

 

 

TASFA Eligibility Requirements
  • DACA Student
  • Immigrant Texas student
  • At least three years in Texas
  • Graduated from a Texas high school
  • Child of work visa holder

 

 

 

 

 

STEP 2: APPLICATION SUPPORT

Ready to complete the FAFSA or TASFA? Review the information below to make sure you have everything you need.

 

 

 

FAFSA

  1. Gather Materials
  2. Create FSA ID (parent and student). Create one here.
  3. Register with Selective Service (males 18 or older). Apply here. 
  4. Complete the FAFSA! 

 

 

 

Required Documents
  • Social Security Number
  • Alien Registration Number
  • Federal tax return or record of earned money
Supporting Materials (if applicable)
  • Bank Statements, stocks, bonds, etc.
  • Record of untaxed income
  • Driver's license

 

 

 

 

 

TASFA

  1. Gather Materials
  2. Register with Selective Service (males 18 or older). Apply here. 
  3. Complete the TASFA!

 

 

 

Required Materials
  • Tax transcript
  • University ID number
  • Federal tax return or record of earned money
Supporting Materials
  • Bank statements, stocks, bonds, etc.
  • Record of untaxed income
  • Driver's license

 

STEP 3: APPLY

FAFSA application

TASFA application

 

 

 

 

 

 

STEP 4: FAFSA COMPLETE, NOW WHAT?

Your FAFSA has been successfully completed when you receive a Student Aid Report (SAR) that does not lists any additional steps.

Student Aid Report 

The SAR is a paper or electronic document that gives you basic information about your eligibility for federal student aid and list your FAFSA responses.

A sample SAR can be found here.

The SAR contains several important pieces of information:

  • Expected Family Contribution (EFC): This is the number that’s used to determine your eligibility for federal and state financial aid. You will only receive an EFC if you have a complete application.
  • Data Release Number (DRN): The four-digit number assigned to your FAFSA form that allows you to release your FAFSA data to schools you did not list on your original FAFSA form.

 

 

 

 

VERIFICATION

Your SAR will also indicate if you have been selected for verification. Verification is the process colleges use to confirm that the data reported on your FAFSA form is accurate. It is very important that you confirm verification steps with each individual college to which you sent your FAFSA. Here is a quick checklist to keep you organized.Gather all personal and financial documentation

  1. Complete FAFSA verification worksheets (if requested by the colleges to which you are applying).
  2. Correct any mistakes made to your existing FAFSA application. 
  3. Submit new documentation as quickly as possible, but before any posted deadline.
  4. Confirm receipt of verification documents with the financial aid office of each college to which you are applying.

Verification Worksheets

 

 

 

 

STAY IN
THE LOOP