Applying for financial aid has never been easier with TSTC’s step-by-step instructions guiding you through the application process. But don’t worry if you still have questions, TSTC’s Enrollment Coaches are available to help with a one-on-one consultation, through email or by phone.
And remember, the key to obtaining financial assistance is to apply as early as possible. Submitting your FAFSA is only the first step in applying for federal student aid.
To ensure that an aid package is available and ready, TSTC recommends that the completed file be received at the College by according to the following schedule:
Fall term: Apply by June 1 | Spring term: Apply by November 1 | Summer term: Apply by April 1 |
FAFSA CODE for all TSTC Locations: 003634
You will need to complete a FAFSA for each academic year.
If you need financial aid to help you pay for college, you must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form. You should fill it out as soon as possible by following the instructions on the official government site, https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa.
An FSA ID is a username and password that you can use to log in to certain U.S. Department of Education (ED) websites. Each student, and one parent of each dependent student, will need an FSA ID to complete the FAFSA process. You can access the site by clicking on the “Create an FSA ID” button below. We recommend creating your FSA ID early—even before you are ready to complete the FAFSA form—to avoid delays in the process.
Click here to watch a tutorial on creating your FSA ID.
Do I need my parents information? Click here to find out.
For step-by-step instructions, watch How to Create Your FSA ID.
IMPORTANT: Do NOT create an FSA ID on behalf of someone else. That means parents should not create FSA IDs for their children and vice versa. Doing so may result in issues signing and submitting the FAFSA form and could lead to financial aid delays. (Also, it’s against the rules to create an FSA ID for someone else.)
To summarize:
If you don’t have access to it, and don’t know where it is, ask your parent or legal guardian or get a replacement card from the Social Security Administration. If you are not a U.S. citizen, but meet Federal Student Aid’s basic eligibility requirements, you’ll also need your Alien Registration number.
You can find the number on your driver’s license. If you don’t have a driver’s license, then don’t worry about this step.
When a Student is Attending College (School Year) | When a Student Can Submit a FAFSA | Which Year’s Income and Tax Information is Required |
August 2020 – July 2021 | October 1, 2019 – June 30, 2021 | 2018 |
August 2021 – July 2022 | October 1, 2020 – June 30, 2022 | 2019 |
The FAFSA questions about untaxed income may or may not apply to you, but they include things like child support received, interest income, and veterans’ non-education benefits. Find specific details for students and parents.
This includes savings and checking account balances, as well as the value of investments such as stocks and bonds and real estate (except the home in which your family lives). You should report the current amounts as of the date you sign the FAFSA form.
Note: Misreporting the value of investments is a common FAFSA mistake. Please carefully review what is and is not considered a student investment and parent investment to make sure you don’t over- or under-report. You may be surprised by what can (and cannot) be excluded.
Please review the information on the SAR and contact your Enrollment Coach if you discover errors.
If your FAFSA contains discrepancies, or is selected for verification by the United States Department of Education, you will be required to submit additional documentation. See TSTC Verification Policy below.
The financial aid processing office will receive your FAFSA information approximately 5-7 business days after you have submitted the FAFSA.
The Processing center then reviews your FAFSA information. This review process can take several weeks, and we may ask you for additional documents to verify your FAFSA data. Check your TSTC Self-Service to see if we have requested documentation.
Once the requested documents are received by our office, or if no additional documents were originally requested, our office will offer you financial aid.
Note: Financial aid will not be credited to your student account until all official transcripts are received.
If you register early, your financial aid, if processed, will be credited to your student account prior to the start of the term.
NOTE: Aircraft Pilot Training (APT) students must submit a copy of their Class II Medical Certificate before they can be admitted to the program. APT student budgets are adjusted to reflect flight costs. Any APT student who does not fly for a term may lose the budget adjustment.
The TSTC Financial Aid Office verifies all financial aid applicants who are selected for verification by the Central Processing System along with any other students that may be selected by the Financial Aid Office. The Financial Aid Office WILL NOT award aid to a student until the verification process has been completed.
Students who are selected for verification will receive an email listing the forms that must be submitted and any other information that must be submitted. Students are able to submit their missing documents electronically by logging into their Student Self-Service account, selecting the correct award year and complete the required documents. Students may also obtain these forms online or may pick up the forms in the Enrollment Center.
If you are selected for verification, we encourage you to submit the documents to our office as quickly as possible. We perform verification in the order in which files become complete. Please remember that you will NOT receive any financial aid until this process has been completed!
During the verification process, we may determine that we need additional documentation. If so, you will receive another email notification. Once again, please respond quickly.
As a result of verification, we may be required to make changes to the information that you reported on your FAFSA. If that happens, you will receive another Student Aid Report that shows what changes were made. You can contact our office if you have any questions about why changes were made.
After the verification process is completed, your financial aid will be processed and we will send you an email regarding your award offer.