Holmes College/ Career Center
Financial Aid
College can be expensive but financial hardship should never hold you back from achieving your dreams. By filling out your FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) you open up the possibilities in receiving grants, scholarships, and loans to help pay for college.
Types of Federal Student Aid
Completing your FAFSA
Grants
Non-repayable awards based on need.
Loans
Educational loans are available through private lending instiutions, colleges, and the federal government. Federal student loans have low interest rates with payments deferred while the student is enrolled in school. Loans must be repaid.
Work-Study Programs
Jobs that allow students to earn money towards their expensese while they are enrolled in school.
Getting an FSA ID
You'll need an FSA ID, a username and password combination that allows you to sign your FAFSA electronically. You can get your FSA ID as you fill out the FAFSA, but you also have the option to get it ahead of time.
Gathering the Documents Needed to Apply
The FAFSA asks for information about you and your financial situation. Depending on your circumstances, you might need the following information or documents as you fill out the FAFSA:
-Your Social Security number
-Your parents' Social Security numbers if you are a dependent student
-Your driver's license number if you have one
-Your Alien Registration number if you are not a U.S. citizen
-Federal tax info or tax returns for you and for your parents
-Records of your untaxed income (child suport, interest income) for you and your parents
-Info on: cash, savings and checking account balances, investments, business and farm assets for you and your parents
Starting Your FAFSA and Providing Your Information
If you are starting a FAFSA for the first time, go to www.fafsa.gov and click on "Start A New FAFSA".
Signing and Submitting the FAFSA
Before your FAFSA can be processed, you’ll need to sign and submit it. Be sure to sign in with your FSA ID so your FAFSA will be processed as quickly as possible.
TASFA
The Texas Application for State Financial Aid (TASFA) is available to students who are not U.S. citizens, but are considered residents of Texas. The TASFA application is generally available to download sometime in February for the following school year and must be submitted to your university each year. If you are not sure if you are eligible to submit the TASFA, visit the College for all Texans website for more information.
Seniors! You can apply for FAFSA as early as October 1 of your senior year!
