FAFSA: FREE APPLICATION FOR FEDERAL STUDENT AID

• You can file your FAFSA on the Federal Student Aid Website
• Must be a U.S Citizen or Eligible Non-Citizen
• Student and Parent (if applicable) will need to create an FSA ID in order to electronically sign your application
• Parents who do not have a SSN will need to sign and mail the application signature page
• We recommend that you utilize the IRS Data Retrieval to transfer tax information as it helps reduce errors and saves you time
• The Texas Core Residency Questionnaire will be required for Texas residents in order to determine TX state aid eligibility

TASFA: Texas Application for State Financial Aid

• You can access a TASFA on the College for All Texans website
• Students who are not eligible to file a FAFSA but are classified as Texas residents
• Submit TASFA to Paul Quinn College along with student/parent tax forms and W-2's
• Submit a notarized Residency Affidavit
• The Texas Core Residency Questionnaire will be required for Texas residents in order to determine TX state aid eligibility

Texas Core Residency Questionnaire

Texas residents who want to be considered for the Tuition Equalization Grant (TEG) must complete the Texas Residency Core Questionnaire. Information and requests will be sent by the Office of Financial Aid.

Financial Aid on Student Portal

You can view your pending financial aid on your CAMS Student Portal. You can review this document with instructions on how to access the information.

Did your financial situation change?

Financial aid applications are based on tax information from two years prior. For example, the 2021-2022 FAFSA uses 2019 tax year information to determine eligibility. We understand that financial situations change and want to be able to take into account your most accurate financial situation.

If your EFC is above 0 and your financial situation has changed, please contact us to review your situation and go over next steps and required documentation.

Some situations may include:

• Loss of income
• Reduction of income
• Divorce or Legal Separation
• Death of Student Parent or Spouse
• One-time income (reported on 2019 tax return)
• Loss of child support

If you believe you may qualify for this appeal, submit a 2021-2022 Financial Changes Reviewto our office.

Dependency Questions

• If you’re a dependent student, you will report your and your parents’ information.
• If you’re an independent student, you will report your own information (and, if you’re married, your spouse’s).
• The FAFSA and TASFA will have a series of Dependency questions that will determine your status.

Please note that not living with parents, not being claimed by them on tax forms, or filing your own tax forms does not make you an independent student for purposes of applying for student aid.

• If you have any special circumstances, please contact our office. We will need to collect documentation to verify your situation. Gather as much written evidence of your situation as you can.
• Unusual circumstances do include (and may cause any of the aforementioned conditions) abandonment by parents, an abusive family environment that threatens the student’s health or safety, or the student being unable to locate parents.

Submitting Finacial Aid Verification Documents

The majority of document requests will need to be submitted via DocuSign. You will receive instructions via e-mail if required.

Other documents can be uploaded online. You will receive instructions if needed.

• Defaulted Student Loan Status
• Unusual Enrollment History Verification
• Citizenship Verification/SSA Match

Accessing your Student Aid Report (SAR)

Sometimes you need your SAR to apply for private scholarships or to have it for your records. You can read instructions on how to access your SAR on the FSA website or watch this video as a guide.