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College and Career Resources - Student Financial Aid - FAFSA Process
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the first step to receiving financial aid from the federal and state government and most colleges and universities. It is managed by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Federal Student Aid and can help you pay for college if you apply early.
Timeline • Eligibility • Required Documents • Application
Be the first in line! You can start filing your forms from January 1st until June 30. The priority deadline for the state of Texas is March 15.
You must be a citizen of the United States or an eligible noncitizen to receive Federal Student Aid. An eligible noncitizen fits any of the following:
- U.S. permanent resident, with a Permanent Resident Card (formerly known as an Alien Registration Receipt Card or "Green Card")
- Conditional permanent resident (I-551C)
- Other eligible noncitizen with an Arrival-Departure Record (I-94) from the Department of Homeland Security showing any one of the following designations: "Refugee," "Asylum Granted," "Indefinite Parole," "Humanitarian Parole," or "Cuban-Haitian Entrant"
- A citizen of the Republic of Palau (PW), the Republic of the Marshall Islands (MH), or the Federated States of Micronesia (FM).
Before you apply, make sure you have the documents you need to fill out the application and a Personal Identification Number (PIN). Your PIN is your electronic personal identification number that identifies you and gives you access to your personal information. It acts as your digital signature on some online forms.
What Documents do you need for your FAFSA?
In order to fill out your FAFSA, you will need your:
- Previous year Federal Tax Return (and spouse’s, if student is married)
- FAFSA Personal Identification Number (PIN)
- Social Security Number
- Driver’s License Number
- Most Recent W-2 or Year-end Pay Stub
- Untaxed Income Records
- Bank Statement(s)
- Business and Investment Records
- Alien Registration Card (if not a U.S. Citizen)
If you are a dependent, you must have your parents’ income information. A dependent student is a student that does not meet any of the criteria for an independent student.
How to tell if you’re a “dependent” or an “independent” student?
- At least 24 years old
- Married
- A graduate or professional student
- A veteran
- A member of the armed forces
- An orphan, a ward of the court
- Someone with legal dependents other than a spouse
- An emancipated minor
- Someone who is homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.
Federal Student Aid Personal Identification Number (PIN)
Once you have your required documents ready, you need to get a Federal Student Aid Personal Identification Number (PIN). The Federal Student Aid Personal Identification Number (PIN) will be your electronic signature every time you complete your FAFSA so be sure to keep your PIN in a safe place!
Once you know your deadlines, have your required documents and your PIN ready, you are ready to apply for Financial Aid.
Apply online:
To save time on your online application, learn about the IRS Data Retrieval Tool and how it works.
You also have other application options. Here are other ways through which you can file your FAFSA:
Federal Student Aid Programs
P.O. Box 4696
Mt. Vernon, IL 62864-0066
- Request a paper FAFSA by calling 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243) or 319-337-5665. For the hearing impaired: TTY line at 1-800-730-8913.
To complete the FAFSA, you will need your college’s Federal School Code.
The Federal School Code is an identifier that the U.S. Department of Education assigns to each college or career school that participates in the federal student aid programs. Some schools have more than one code. It is important that you know which ones apply to your aid.
After you submit your FAFSA, you will receive your Student Aid Report (SAR).
The SAR contains a summary of your submitted personal financial information and your Official Expected Family Contribution- EFC (the EFC is the number that’s used to determine your eligibility for federal student aid).
This document shows the amount of aid for which you qualify. It is important that you carefully review and correct it if needed. Reviewing the SAR is an important step in the financial aid process. Students need to make changes or corrections when needed: