Am I eligible for financial aid?

You may be eligible if you meet the following minimum qualifications:

• you are a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen;

• are admitted to a degree seeking program at UTPA;

• are admitted to a qualified post-baccalaureate or graduate program leading to a degree/certificate;

• have turned in documents requested by the Financial Aid Office;

• are not in default on any prior student loan or do not owe a repayment on any Title IV financial aid; and

• are enrolled in the required number of hours for whatever aid program is available.

A non-citizen, who is a permanent resident, is eligible for financial aid. You should make sure that you have the proper documentation, such as, a resident alien card, since the FAFSA application requires that the number be listed. If you are on a temporary or student visa, you will not be eligible for federal student aid.

Refer to the student eligibility criteria listed on the front of the Free Applications for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Non citizens who are not permanent residents may qualify for state aid under House Bill 1403. Contact Admissions office for the HB1403 Admission qualification. Student Financial Services will contact students under HB1403 eligibility to start the FAFSA process.

Do I need to be admitted to UTPA before I apply for financial aid?

No. You should submit the Free Application for Student Financial Aid (FAFSA) to the federal processor as soon as possible after January 1st of each year - since it may take up to 6 to 8 weeks for processing. This paper application is available from any financial aid office or high school counselor.
We do offer assistance in completing the FAFSA electronically. For dates on our regular scheduled express workshops, please refer to our website at http://www.panam.edu/finaid, or come by the Student Financial Services office located at the Student Services Bldg. Room 186 or you can even call us at (956) 381-2501.
The Student Financial Services office cannot complete the awarding process until you are admitted to the University. So, you should begin the admissions application process as soon as you can.