Paying for college can be a confusing and overwhelming process. But with the help of financial aid, students can find grants, scholarships, and loans to help pay for school. Students nationwide are encouraged to complete the FAFSA, the federal program to help student’s pay for college. But what if you aren’t eligible for federal financial aid?

In Texas, resident students are encouraged to complete the TASFA - Texas Application for State Financial Aid - to receive state-based financial aid in place of federal programs. The TASFA application and instructions can be found in English and Spanish on the College for All Texans website.

Texas Residency

To confirm your residency in the state of Texas, you must meet the following criteria:

• Will graduate from a high school or receive a GED in Texas AND
• Live in Texas three years prior to graduating AND
• Reside in Texas for at least one year before attending college.

**Texas residency is a college admissions term, and not a legalization or documentation status of the student or their family

TASFA Reminders

Did you meet the Texas residency requirements? Great! Although you are not able to submit the FAFSA, you can complete the TASFA for Texas state financial aid. This application allows you to be eligible to receive scholarships, grants, and other aid from the state of Texas.

Here are a couple of important things to remember while completing the form:

• Confirm the college you are applying to accepts the TASFA
• You do not need a social security number to submit the TASFA (if you don’t have one, write N/A in this section)
• Always make copies of the completed TASFA and any supporting documents for your records

Submitting the TASFA for each college

When your TASFA is completed, with all required information, extra documents, and signatures included, you will need to send a copy to each school on your college list. Each school has their own communications requirements - snail mail, email, or even dropping off a copy in person if possible - so head over to each school's financial aid website to double check where to send your documents. Aid is awarded on a first-come-first-serve basis so complete your TASFA as soon as you can!

For each school on your college list, you will receive a financial aid package based on your completed TASFA. This may be sent to you and your family through email or as a letter so make sure to keep an eye out. If you don't see a response after 4-6 weeks make sure to contact the missing colleges (reach out to the financial aid office) to see if there is anything else you need to do to complete the TASFA and stay on your college journey!