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How do I apply for financial aid at UTPA?
Four of the most common mistakes are:
The normal procedure is to mail the application in the self-addressed envelope provided with the application. At UTPA, may sign up for an Application Express Workshop and receive assistance in completing the application and mail the application electronically. Students are encouraged to attend an Application Express Workshop. Do I have to apply every year? When are the deadlines?Yes, a new FAFSA must be submitted to the processor every year. It is necessary to apply each year to ensure that any changes to your and/or your parent's financial aid situation is given proper consideration. Priority deadlines are posted each year. Am I required to use my parent's information on the FAFSA?The instructions in Section D of the FAFSA will explain whether or not you must include parent information. If you have been declared independent by a financial aid administrator in the past, or if you think your special situation merits a review, request and come by the Financial Aid Office and ask to have your application reviewed by a financial aid advisor. Note: Complete the review prior to filing the FAFSA or Renewal FAFSA whenever possible.
Section D of the FAFSA is that section of the application that is used to determine dependency status. If you can legitimately answer "YES" to any of the questions in this section, then you can be considered independent. If you answer "NO" to all these questions but have extenuating circumstance that you feel would qualify you as an independent student, then you should address it with a UTPA financial aid advisor. My parents do not claim me on their federal tax form. Why can't I be considered independent? If your parents did not claim you on their tax return, this does not necessarily qualify you as an independent student. Is the FAFSA the only application I need? The FAFSA or the Renewal FAFSA are the only forms you need to apply for federal aid at UTPA. If you would like to be considered for UTPA Scholarships, there is a separate application available from the Financial Aid Office. Do I need to keep copies? Yes! Keep copies of all forms completed and any materials used to prepare the FAFSA, such as, tax returns. Do I need to submit other documents to UTPA?Only if they are requested by UTPA. UTPA will contact you if additional information is needed to complete your file. Remember to include the your social security number on all documentation submitted, including parent documents. When do I apply for financial aid?Apply for financial aid as soon as your tax return is complete. Feb 28th - Priority date to file FAFSA with the Federal Processor. Meeting the priority date enables you to participate in the first financial aid packaging run. Subsequent packaging runs may have less grant money available. April 15 - Priority date to turn in any requested documents to the Financial Aid Office. If I apply for financial aid after April 15, what does that mean? You may apply late for financial aid and still receive some type of financial aid, if you qualify. However, you should know that the longer you wait to complete the application process, the less chance you may have to receive some of the aid that otherwise could be available if you applied early. If you apply after April 15, 1996, your financial aid may not be available to pay fall registration. Please plan to use your own resources if you are a late applicant. How do I know my application was processed? How will I know that UTPA has received my application? If you mailed the FAFSA, you should receive a Student Aid Report (SAR) in the mail about four to six weeks from the date it was mailed. If you transmitted you FAFSA electronically, you should receive a Student Aid Acknowledgement statement in the mail two weeks after transmitting. Check to make sure UT-Pan American is one of the schools listed in Section H of the form. Questions about FAFSA processing can be directed to the Federal Student Aid Information Center (1-319-337-5665). My SAR is not accurate. Do I need to correct it? Students who are concerned with only UT-Pan American receiving corrections can submit the SAR directly to the Financial Aid Office for correcting. Students who want corrections sent to schools besides UT-Pan American--schools that are listed on the SAR--should process corrections through the Central Processor by mailing back their SAR. I turned in my SAR to another school, but I'll be coming to UT-Pan American. What should I do? If you indicated release of data to UT-Pan American on your FAFSA, then UT-Pan American will receive your information. If you did not indicate UT-Pan American, then it will be necessary to request a duplicate SAR from the Federal Student aid Information Center (call 1-319-337-5665). Make sure you request that your data be released to UT-Pan American and that the address they have for you is correct. The SAR will be mailed to you. Upon receiving your updated SAR, contact the Financial Aid Office. What if I want to attend summer school? You should pick up a summer financial aid application from Financial Aid Office's front counter in early January. The deadline to apply for summer financial aid is February 15th. In order to qualify for a loan, you may not exceeded the maximum loan limits for the academic year. Return to TOP. |
