The FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is a federal application which assesses a family’s financial situation for the use of providing federal aid. The TASFA (Texas Application for State Financial Aid) is a state application which assess a family’s financial situation if a student is ineligible to complete the FAFSA.
Each student must fill out a FAFSA to be considered for Federal, State, and Local grants and scholarships. The FAFSA or TASFA must be filled out each year. The best time to apply is in the fall (one year ahead) before the student comes to attend TAMS (ex. October 2023 to attend fall 2024). The FAFSA will be available as early as October 1st annually (2023 was an exception, 2024-2025 FAFSA form was not available until December 31, 2023).
UNT’s Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships (SFAS) sends an automated email to any prospective students and families who submit a FAFSA with UNT listed as the destination institution. The information included in the communique is only relevant if the student is admitted to the TAMS program and enrolls in courses. The FAFSA message to students and families does NOT indicate or imply that a student has been admitted to TAMS.
Every student should complete the FAFSA or TASFA depending on citizenship status. The majority of TAMS students will complete the FAFSA. A TAMS student will complete the TASFA instead of the FAFSA ONLY if they are ineligible to complete the FAFSA.
A student is eligible to complete the FAFSA if their citizenship status is one of the following:
- Student is a U.S. Citizen
- Student is a permanent resident with an Alien Registration Card (I-551)
- Student is an eligible non-citizen with an Arrival/Departure Record (I-94) showing one of the following: Refugee, Asylum granted, Parolee (for a minimum of one year), Cuban-Haitian entrant
If a student does not meet one of the statuses above, then the student will need to complete the TASFA. Please refer to TASFA section.