FAFSA and Financial Aid

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Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

Completing the FAFSA is the first step in the financial aid process. All eligible students should complete the FAFSA beginning October 1st of their senior year and every year thereafter while they attend college. This year, the state has implemented a priority deadline of January 15th. This is the deadline by which you should complete the FAFSA to ensure you will receive all the money for which you are eligible.

**If there have been any significant changes in the students'/family's financial situation in the year after the taxes were filed, contact the financial aid office of the colleges where you plan to apply. They will let you know what additional documentation may be needed.

In accordance with Texas Education Code (TEC), §28.0256, beginning with students enrolled in 12th grade during the 2021-2022 school year, each student must do one of the following in order to graduate: complete and submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA); complete and submit a Texas Application for State Financial Aid (TASFA); or submit a signed opt-out form.

Senior Graduation Requirement

Seniors, in order to satisfy the FAFSA/TASFA requirement, you will need to submit proof of completion to the TISD Student Link platform.

Overview Presentations of the FAFSA

Senior Kickoff 2021 Financial Aid Presentation
Virtual Financial Aid Night Fall 2020 Presentation Recordings

Senior Kickoff 2021 Financial Aid Presentation

Virtual Financial Aid Night Fall 2020 Presentation Recordings

FAFSA Walkthrough Video

FAFSA Quick Instructions

Step 1. Create your FSAID

Create your username/password for the FAFSA or FSAID. (Refer to videos below or the following PDF: https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/sites/default/files/creating-using-fsaid.pdf
Use a personal email account you will have access to after you graduate. You will need to verify your FSAID through this email. Keep this information in order to complete your FAFSA every year you are in college.
One parent must create their FSAID as well to serve as their electronic signature for completing the FAFSA using a separate email address.
If you have older siblings in college who have completed their FAFSA recently, your parent may have already created one. They may use this same FSAID.
How can my parent fill out the FAFSA if they can't use my FSA ID? Click HERE for tips on the FSAID and Save Key.

Step 2. Gather your Documents

To complete the FAFSA, you will need:

Your Social Security Number
Your Alien Registration Number (if you are not a U.S. citizen)
Your federal income tax returns, W-2s, and other records of money earned. (Note: You may be able to transfer your federal tax return information into your FAFSA using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool.)
Bank statements and records of investments (if applicable)
Records of untaxed income (if applicable)
An FSA ID to sign electronically

Step 3. File your FAFSA

FAFSA 2023-2024 Quick Instructions – Using your parent’s 2021 tax information

Go to studentaid.gov and click "Start Here" under "New to the FAFSA Process?"
Complete student information including adding up to 10 colleges where you plan to apply.
Complete parent information. Parents may be eligible to use the IRS Retrieval Tool, which will complete most of the required tax information on the FAFSA for you.
Check for errors. Call FAFSA if you have any technical difficulties or have questions about tax information, etc. 1-800- 4 – FED – AID / (1-800-433-3243).
Submit your FAFSA by providing your FSAID and parent’s FSAID as an electronic signature.
You should receive a copy of your confirmation page via email.

** Sibling Transfer: If you have siblings already in college, look for the “transfer your parents’ information into a new FAFSA” hyperlink on the confirmation page. The link to transfer displays on the "Confirmation" page after you and your parent sign and submit your FAFSA. The link is only available from the "Confirmation" page, so be sure to look for it as soon as you've submitted your FAFSA. You cannot return to the "Confirmation" page later to access the link.

Make sure you have your pop-up blocker turned off before you click on the link. Have the sibling’s FSAID ready to make sure this process goes smoothly. Click HERE for more information.

Additional FAFSA Resources

Who is My Parent When I Fill Out My FAFSA?

College Board/Big Future - How to Complete the FAFSA

For everything you need to know about financial aid, refer to the Student Aid website

Sallie Mae's FAFSA Guide

Sign up for College Board's Opportunity Scholarships! By registering you can earn a chance to win a scholarship just by completing tasks in College Board that you should be doing anyway like completing your FAFSA. By registering with CB's Opportunity Scholarships, you will have access to Wyatt, a free FAFSA assistance chatbot that you can text with. Register HERE.

For everything you want to learn about financial aid see Big Future:

https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/pay-for-college

https://secure-media.collegeboard.org/CollegePlanning/media/pdf/BigFuture_Finanical_Aid_checklist.pdf

Spanish Resources

Informacion sobre la FAFSA en Espanol

Video sobre FAFSA en Espanol

Video - Entender el proceso de Ayuda Financiera

Informacion sobre la FAFSA en Espanol

Video sobre FAFSA en Espanol

Video - Entender el proceso de Ayuda Financiera

Quien Recibe Ayuda Economica (Asistencia Federal) - Presione donde dice "espanol" arriba a mano derecha

Al Llenar la FAFSA... Soy alumno dependiente o indepediente?

TAFSA
Financial Aid for Immigrant Students

TAFSA

Not Eligible for FAFSA? Complete the TASFA

If you are a student that is not a U.S. resident/citizen, you are not eligible to complete the FAFSA. There's good news though! You may be eligible for state funding. Complete the TASFA, which stands for the Texas Application for State Federal Aid. Click HERE find out more information about the TASFA and how to access the TASFA.

Spanish TASFA Video

Financial Aid for Immigrant Students

Information for immigrant students seeking financial assistance for college

TASFA Online Resources

College for All Texans – TASFA Online Application and Instructions

United We Dream

Scholarships for Undocumented Students

FinAid

Hispanic League

So Much Potential - Tools For College Planning Regardless Of Immigration Status

My (Un)Documented Life

MALDEF Scholarship Resource Guide - The MALDEF Scholarship Resource Guide is a free, informative resource guide for students, parents, and educators with an extensive list of scholarships, including many that do not inquire about immigration status.

Big Future - Articles, Videos, and Other Resources for Undocumented Students

TheDream.US

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