How to Complete the FAFSA
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FASFA) can be completed as early as October 1st for the school year that begins the following August. Applicants must file the FAFSA each year to apply for federal and state aid.
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Documents Needed for Application
- Social Security Number
- Driver’s License Number (if you have one)
- Alien Registration Number (if you are non a US citizen)
- W2 Forms
- Federal Income Tax Return (1040) from the prior year
- Other untaxed income amounts (e.g. child support, workers’ compensation, payments to tax deferred pension, savings plan, etc.)
- Knowledge of your current cash, checking, and savings amounts, as well as the value of other investments such as bonds or rental properties you own.
Application Checklist
- Visit FAFSA.gov to begin.
- Create a FSA ID.
- Complete the application for the applicable year.
- Create a save key.
- Fill out student information. Texarkana College’s code is 003628
- Complete the demographic and financial information.
- Electronically using your FSA ID that you created in Step 2.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the most important application you must complete in order to qualify for almost all types of financial aid including federal, state, and local scholarships.
The U.S. Department of Education uses the information provided on your FAFSA to determine your eligibility for aid from federal student financial assistance programs. The FAFSA is used to determine State Grant eligibility. Colleges use FAFSA data to award any institutional Financial Aid.
Some of the most basic eligibility requirements for students are:
- Demonstrate financial need (for most programs – to learn more about financial need, visit StudentAid.gov/how-calculated)
- Be a U.S. citizen or an eligible non-citizen
- Have a valid Social Security number
- Be registered with Selective Service
- Be enrolled or accepted for enrollment in an eligible degree or certificate program
- Be enrolled at least half-time (for most programs) andHave a high school diploma or a state recognized equivalent (for example the General Educational Development [GED] certificate); or
- Completed a high school education in a home-school setting approved under state law.
If you are planning to go to college, you will need to use tax information from the prior year that you are completing the FAFSA.
Most students under 24 are required to complete the FAFSA with their own information as well as with their parent(s)’ information. Students over 24, however, qualify to complete the FAFSA independently. The FAFSA form will help you determine whether or not you need to report your parents’ information. You can also ask your guidance counselor and/or college adviser for help!
After Your FAFSA is Processed
Once your FAFSA is processed, you will receive a Student Aid Report (SAR), which summarizes all the information you provided on your FAFSA. Check your SAR for any errors. Receiving an SAR does not mean that you are eligible for financial aid. If you do not have any changes to the information listed on your SAR, just keep it for your records. If you review your SAR and find a mistake, you will need to make necessary corrections using one of the following methods:
- Online (fastest method) at FAFSA.gov
- US Mail
- Telephone 1–800–4–FED–AID (1–800–433–3243) / TTY (Hearing Impaired) 1–800–730–8913
- We recommend contacting the TC Financial Aid Office for assistance with corrections
Changes to financial information are permitted only if you provided incorrect or estimated information when you submitted the FAFSA. If a Social Security Number is reported incorrectly, a new FAFSA must be submitted. Your processed FAFSA results will be shared with the schools you listed on your FAFSA. All colleges respond differently. Check with your chosen institutions Financial Aid Office. Be sure to check the email you used to create your FAFSA profile daily for updates.