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 financial aid professionals are available to help with a one-on-one consultation, through e-mail or by phone!

And remember, the key to obtaining financial assistance is to apply early.

You should 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 in the Financial Aid Office according to the following schedule:

Step by Step Instructions for Financial Aid

STEP ONE

*  Submit the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), based on the most current annual income tax information, by following the instructions at www.fafsa.gov. Please note that each TSTC campus holds its own Federal School code number. They are all listed at the top, right hand side of this page.

STEP TWO

You will receive a Student Aid Report (SAR) in the mail from the processing center within 2-3 weeks after you submit your FAFSA electronically. Or if you provided your email address, you will receive an email with a link to your SAR in 5-7 days.

• Please review the information on the SAR and contact the financial aid office if you discover errors.
• If your file contains discrepancies, or is selected for verification by the United States Department of Education, you will be required to submit additional documentation to the financial aid office.
• You will receive an email notification to view your award letter on WebAdvisor when your aid has been processed. If you do not receive an email notification, you will receive your award letter through standard postal mail service.
• There are additional steps required if you wish to receive a Federal Direct Student Loan.

STEP THREE

Officially declare a major in the Enrollment Services Office. A major cannot be declared until all required transcripts are received by that office.

Note: Financial aid will not be credited to your student account until all transcripts are received.

STEP FOUR

Pre-register. 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 any financial aid can be credited to their student account. APT student budgets are adjusted to reflect flight costs. Any APT student who does not fly for a term may lose the budget adjustment.

What records do I need in order to complete my FAFSA? 
You will need records of income earned in the year prior to when you will start school. You may also need records of your parents´ income information if you are a dependent student. You may print a copy of this page by selecting the Print button at the top of the page.

• The most current annual income tax information. You will need to refer to:
• Your Social Security Number. Be sure it is correct!
• Your driver's license (if any)
• Your 2010 W-2 Forms and other records of money earned
• Your (and your spouse´s, if you are married) 2010 Federal Income Tax Return.
• IRS 1040, 1040A, 1040 EZ
• Foreign Tax Return, or
• Tax Return for Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Marshall Islands, the Federal States of Micronesia, or Palau
• Your Parents´ most current Federal Income Tax Return (if you are a dependent student)
• Your current year untaxed income records
• Veterans non-education benefit records
• Child support received
• Worker's compensation
• Your current bank statements
• Your current business and investment mortgage information; business and farm records; stock, bond and other investment records

What do I need to keep in mind when filling out the FAFSA?

• The words "you" and "your" always mean the student.
• The word "school" means a college, university, graduate or professional school, community college, vocational or technical school, or any other school beyond high school.
  • Round to the nearest dollar and do not use commas or decimal points.
  • For dates, enter numbers that correspond to the month, day, and year. For example, for November 7, 1981, enter 11071981.
  • 2011-2012 FAFSA questions that refer to the "school year" mean the school year from July 1, 2011 through June 30, 2012.
    • Do not mail tax forms or Worksheets to Federal Student Aid.
    • Check with your financial aid administrator if you have unusual circumstances.

The Federal Guidelines for submission for 2011-2012 School Year (July 1 - June 30, 2012) are:

FAFSA Web applications must be submitted by midnight Central Daylight time, June 30, 2012.

Corrections on the Web forms must be submitted by midnight Central Daylight Time, Sept. 15, 2012.

Note: TSTC must have your complete and correct information by the last day of enrollment in the 2011-2012 school year.

TIP: January 1 is the first date that you are eligible to file the FAFSA. Try to submit the form as close as possible to this date since school, state and private aid deadlines may be earlier than federal deadlines.

Why is it important to submit accurate information?

It is critical that you fill out your FASFA form correctly and that the information that you supply can be verified by your school, your state, or by Federal Student Aid.

You may be asked to provide U.S. income tax returns and other information. If you cannot or do not provide these records to your school when asked, you may not get federal student aid.

If you get federal student aid based on incorrect information, you will have to pay it back. You may also have to pay fines and fees. If you purposely give false or misleading information on your application, you may be fined $20,000, sent to prison, or both. Standards for Academic Progress

Students who receive financial aid must be enrolled in an eligible program and are required to maintain the following standards of satisfactory academic progress (SAP).  These measurements shall be used to determine eligibility for all federal Title IV aid, state and institutional aid, and for other financial assistance unless the terms of a particular grant or funding source require additional terms.  SAP is calculated at the end of each term. Some aid programs require higher standards, such as higher grade point averages (GPA) or specific enrollment statuses. Students receiving financial aid must have a declared degree or certificate eligible program.  Students will only be allowed to make one program change and still remain eligible for financial aid.  Students are expected to be continually aware of their progress toward their completion.  A student that fails to meet the standard of progress (SAP) may be notified by email at the email address on the student record; however, failure to receive notification will not change the SAP status.

Qualitative Progress Measurement:  Minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA)

To continue receiving financial aid, you are expected to successfully complete all of your classes with passing grades.  You must have at least a 2.00 cumulative GPA (based on all terms of enrollment) and at least a 2.00 term GPA during each period of enrollment.

Quantitative Progress Measurement #1: Number of Credit Hours Required to Complete

When you enroll in classes and receive financial aid to pay for those classes, you are expected to successfully complete those classes.  You must complete at least 75% of the credit hours that you started or enrolled for during each term.  This requirement is also reviewed for cumulative completion of 75% of all courses attempted during your enrollment. Only passing grades count as successful completions. Incomplete, in progress, failing grades, and drop/withdrawals are attempted courses, and will be calculated in the 75% completion requirement.

Quantitative Progress Measurement #2:  Maximum Time to Complete a Degree / Program

To ensure that you complete your program in a reasonable amount of time, a limit set by law has been placed on the number of hours that you can attempt. That limit is 150% of the minimum number of hours required to complete your program.  For example, if your degree program requires 72 credit hours for completion, you must complete your degree or certificate program within a maximum of 108 attempted credit hours.  Once you reach the 150 percent limit or we determine that you cannot complete your program within the 150% limit, you will no longer be able to receive financial aid.  Several variables are considered when calculating the 150% limit and the satisfactory progression rules.  These variables include, but are not limited to:

1. All attempted credit hours are counted even if you were not receiving aid to pay for  them. 
2. Any transfer hours that are accepted from other colleges and applied toward the completion of your program are counted in the maximum time frame.  If you have previously attended any college, you must submit official transcripts from all previous colleges prior to any financial aid being released.
3. If you repeat a course, both attempts will be counted in the maximum credit hours and progression calculation, even if you did not receive aid for both attempts. Financial aid will only pay for 2 attempts in a course.
4. If you withdraw from a course, it is still counted as an attempted course and included in the SAP calculation.

When you receive financial aid to help pay for a program of study, you are expected to complete that program within the specified time frame for that program.  You should not enroll in classes that are not required for your chosen program of study.  Classes not required for your degree plan are not eligible for financial aid. Additionally, audit courses, continuing education courses, previously passed courses and courses for which you enroll after the census date are also not eligible for financial aid.

Additional SAP Rules: Remedial or Developmental Coursework

You may be able to take up to 27 hours of remedial or developmental course work and receive financial aid to pay for those costs.  These courses will be included in the qualitative and quantitative measurements for SAP.  All courses, including failures, incompletes, in progress, or drop/withdrawal are counted toward the maximum 27 credit hour limit.  Once you have attempted 27 credit hours of remedial or developmental classes, you will not be able to receive additional financial aid to pay for those courses.  Enrollment in these courses is indicated by testing or as recommended by counseling.

Financial aid will NOT pay for:

• Courses taken by audit

• Courses taken outside of your degree plan requirements

• Courses failed and repeated more than two times (except remedial)

• Courses previously passed with a grade of “D” or higher

• Credit hours earned by placement tests

• Continuing education courses

• Courses for which you register after the official census date of the term.

• Credit hours in excess of the 150% maximum program limit

• More than one academic program change, or two programs

• Courses taken without having a declared eligible program (enrolled as undeclared or undecided)

Failure to Meet the Financial Aid Standards of Academic Progress

The first time that a student fails to maintain the minimum standards of satisfactory academic progress requirements, he or she will be placed on financial aid probation for the next term of enrollment. During the probation period, the student will be able to receive financial aid.  A student that fails to meet the full terms of the standards of academic progress during the probationary period will be placed on financial aid suspension and will lose eligibility for all financial aid until all SAP measurements have been met.  Failing to meet any one of the SAP measurements will place a student on probation or suspension. The financial aid office retains the option of placing a student on continued probation based on a review of individual progress. After financial aid suspension, you must request reinstatement of eligibility in writing to the Financial Aid Office (FAO).  If the Financial Aid Office mathematically determines that you cannot complete your program of study within the 150% limit, you will immediately be placed on financial aid suspension. Once the 150% limit has been met, you cannot regain satisfactory progress or financial aid eligibility.  The student is responsible for paying all expenses during any enrollment period while on suspension.

Appeal Process

If you are placed on financial aid suspension, you may petition the FAO, in writing, to consider mitigating circumstances that resulted in your inability to meet the SAP requirements.  The appeal must include supporting documentation regarding your special circumstance, such as medical statements or death certificates.  Special circumstance considerations will be limited to extreme hardships. Only one appeal for mitigating circumstances will be considered during your enrollment.  You must also meet with a TSTC Counselor and meet any requirements they ask of you in order for them to make a recommendation to the FAO. The Financial Aid Office will review the appeal and approve or deny your appeal.  The decision of the financial aid office appeal process is final and cannot be appealed.  Not enrolling for one or more terms does not remo ve the probation or suspension status.

Loan Program Restrictions

In accordance with federal regulations, a school must verify that a loan recipient is meeting SAP every time funds are released. You must be enrolled for six or more credit hours to receive loan funds.  If you are not meeting SAP when loan funds are being disbursed, your loan will be canceled and you must reapply when SAP has been reached.  Other restrictions may limit how much you can borrow and when you will receive your loan payments. You should always borrow the smallest amount possible since these are funds that must be repaid when you leave school for any reason.

WARNING: REPAYMENT OF FEDERAL FUNDS

If you receive federal financial aid and stop attending or withdraw from all courses at or before 60% of the term is completed, you will be required to repay all or a portion of the federal aid you received, including that used to pay for your college expenses.  If you received a grade of F in all courses for any term, you will be required to repay a portion of the federal aid received, based on last date of participation, unless an instructor certifies and documents that you were participating in at least one class after the 60% point of the term or until the end of the term. A term may consist of one or more blocks or modules.

The following Standards of Academics Progress are adopted for the purpose of determining continuing eligibility for those students who are receiving or applying for financial aid. Progress will be reviewed at the end of each term to determine that the student is making satisfactory progress. This review will include all periods of enrollment, even those for which the student did not receive financial aid. Students are expected to be continually aware of their grades. A student who is placed on probation or suspension may be notified in writing by the financial aid office; however, since the time between terms is very limited, failure to receive notification will not change the student’s financial aid status.