Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

If you are in need of financial assistance, complete your FAFSA and make sure to list Texas A&M University's federal school code, 003632.

In order to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must submit a FAFSA each year. It is available on or after October 1 of the year prior to enrollment. For example, the FAFSA for the 2023-2024 academic year can be submitted on or after October 1, 2022. In order to ensure your file is ready for awarding, we recommend that you submit your FAFSA by the recommended submission date as listed below.

Application Term	FAFSA	Recommended Submission Date
Fall 2022	2022-2023	December 15, 2021
Spring 2023	2022-2023	October 1, 2022
Summer 2023	2022-2023	January 15, 2023
Fall 2023	2023-2024	December 15, 2022
Spring 2024	2023-2024	October 1, 2023

FAFSA Application Process

FAFSA will open October 1 the year prior to enrollment
If you are starting in the Fall, it is recommended you submit your FAFSA by December 15th the year prior to enrollment
The state priority deadline to submit your FAFSA is January 15th prior to enrollment
A FAFSA is required in order to be considered for federal and state financial aid
A FAFSA may be completed online at studentaid.gov

FSA ID

The FSA ID (a username and password) is used to log into U.S. Department of Education websites. Your FSA ID confirms your identity when you access your financial aid information and electronically sign Federal Student Aid documents. If you do not already have a FSA ID, you can create one when creating an account with studentaid.gov.

The security of your FSA ID is important. Your FSA ID can be used to:

Electronically sign Federal Student Aid documents,
Access your personal records
Finalize binding legal obligations

Student Aid Report (SAR)

A SAR is a transcript of the information provided on the FAFSA. The SAR is available to be received by paper mail or email. If you would like to receive it by email, it will be sent to the email address provided on the FAFSA. The email address provided is shared with each of the schools listed on the FAFSA for correspondence purposes. Texas A&M officially communicates with students through their assigned Texas A&M Gmail account. For more information about your Texas A&M Gmail account please log onto google.tamu.edu. You may sign up for a Texas A&M Gmail account once you have been admitted to TAMU.

How do I apply?

The online FAFSA can be found on the Federal Student Aid website. This is the best way to make sure you FAFSA gets submitted quickly and securely. You will need to log in with your FSA ID (or create a new ID if this is your first time). This can be used to log into many different Department of Education sites, so make sure to remember this ID and password.

If for some reason you cannot complete the FAFSA online, you can fill out the paper version. While the online FAFSA is typically received by Texas A&M within one week, the paper version may take up to 3-5 weeks to be received and processed, so we recommend submitting online when possible.

When should I submit the FAFSA?

Dependency Status

All applicants for federal student aid are considered either “independent” or “dependent.” Dependent students are required to include information about their parents on the FAFSA. By answering a few questions, you can get a good idea of which category you fit into.

Will you be 24 or older by Dec. 31 of the school year for which you are applying for financial aid?
Will you be working toward a master’s or doctorate degree (such as M.A., M.B.A., M.D., J.D., Ph.D., Ed.D., etc.)?
Are you married or separated but not divorced?
Do you have children who receive more than half of their support from you?
Do you have dependents (other than children or a spouse) who live with you and receive more than half of their support from you?
At any time since you turned age 13, were both of your parents deceased, were you in foster care, or were you a ward or dependent of the court?
Are you an emancipated minor or are you in a legal guardianship as determined by a court?
Are you an unaccompanied youth who is homeless or self-supporting and at risk of being homeless?
Are you currently serving on active duty in the U.S. armed forces for purposes other than training?
Are you a veteran of the U.S. armed forces?

If none of the criteria listed above apply to you, you are considered a dependent student and are required to provide your parents’ financial information when completing the FAFSA. If you are unable to provide parent information, please contact our office. If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you are an independent student. You are not required to provide parental information on your FAFSA.

If you have questions about your dependency status or need more information, please visit StudentAid.gov/dependency.

Occasionally, unusual circumstances may exist that warrant a review of a student's dependency status. Please contact us by telephone at 979.847.1787 for more information.

Per Federal regulations, Scholarships & Financial Aid cannot consider the following conditions as an extenuating circumstance for a dependency status change:

Parents refuse to contribute to the student’s education;
Parents are unwilling to provide information on the FAFSA or for verification;
Parents do not claim the student as a dependent for income tax purposes;
Student demonstrates total self-sufficiency.

Who is my parent when I fill out my FAFSA?

For reporting purposes, “parent” means your legal (biological or adoptive) parent or stepparent, or a person that the state has determined to be your legal parent.

Use this guide to figure out which parent’s information to include (depending on your family's situation).

Question 1: Are your parents married to each other?

If yes, then report information for both parents on the FAFSA.

If no, then answer question 2.

Question 2: Do your parents live together?

If yes, then report information for both parents on the FAFSA, even if they were never married, are divorced, or are separated.

If no, then answer question 3.

Question 3: Did you live with one parent more than the other over the past 12 months?

If yes, then report information on the FAFSA for the parent you lived with more. Also, if this parent remarried, you will need to report information for your stepparent on the FAFSA.

If no, then report information on the FAFSA for the parent who provided more financial support over the past 12 months or in the last year you received support. Also, if this parent remarried, you will need to report information for your stepparent on the FAFSA.

The following people are not your parents unless they have legally adopted you:

Widowed Stepparent
Grandparents
Foster Parents
Legal Guardians
Older Brothers or Sisters
Aunts or Uncles

If you’re not sure whom to report as a parent, you can visit the Student Aid website or call 800-4-FED-AID (800-433-3243).

What is an EFC?

The Expected Family Contribution (EFC) is an evaluation of your family’s ability to contribute to college expenses. The EFC is calculated using a formula established by law. All the financial information you provide on the FAFSA is considered in the formula. Also considered are your family size and the number of family members who will attend college during the year. Schools use the EFC to determine your federal student aid eligibility and financial aid offer.

Note: Your EFC is not the amount of money your family will have to pay for college nor is it the amount of federal student aid you will receive. It is a number used by the school to calculate the amount of financial aid you are eligible to receive.

Future Students

Admitted Students

Current Students

Former Students

Military Education Benefits

Student-Athletes

Transcripts and Diplomas

Classes

Degree Programs

Grades

Types of Aid

Apply for Aid

Military Education Benefits

Money Education

Cost and Tuition Rates

Residency for In-State Tuition

Paying Your Bill

Degree Requirement Verification

Tuition Rebate

Graduation with Honors

Graduation Cancellation

Outstanding Balances

Forms and Media

Student Resources

Contact Us