Applying for Aid

To receive federal, state, or institutional funds you must:

• Demonstrate financial need (with the exception of some loans)
• Have a high school diploma or GED
• Be enrolled in at least six credit hours of an eligible degree-seeking or certificate program
• Be in good academic standing and maintain satisfactory academic progress toward completion of a degree or certificate
• Be a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen
• Have a valid social security number
• If male, be registered with Selective Service or be exempt
• Not owe a refund on a federal grant or be in default on a federal educational loan

Students who aren't officially admitted to SFA but are taking SFA classes are ineligible.

Your citizen status will determine which financial aid application to complete.

• U.S. citizens: online FAFSA application
• Eligible non-citizens: online FAFSA application
• Non-Citizen Texas residents: online TASFA application

Your FAFSA-defined dependency status determines whose information you must report when you fill out your FAFSA form.

• Dependent: report your and your parents' information.
• Independent: report your own information.

Important documents to have available:

• Your social security number
• Proof of residency card (if applicable)
• Your tax record (more information on tax records below)
• Your most recent W-2 forms or records of money earned

Tips to ensure successful completion:

• Include SFA’s Title IV School Code: 003624
• You and all contributors must provide consent for the IRS to transfer tax return information.
• Answer the "High School Information" section. Don't skip it!
• Verify your answers and check for accuracy — errors will delay the process.

You don’t have to complete the FAFSA to apply for scholarships, although we suggest you do — you could be eligible for other types of aid! Unlike other forms of financial assistance, you’ll need to apply for most scholarships individually, and the process will vary by program.

Using SFA's general application for hundreds of scholarships

SFA has hundreds of scholarships available to new and returning students. The Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships offers a scholarship portal that allows you to search and apply for SFA scholarships using a single application!

1. Visit sfasu.academicworks.com
2. Click the Sign In button and use your mySFA credentials.

Keep in mind the deadline to apply for the upcoming aid year. Within the application, you can request references by submitting names and email addresses, and complete essays when required.

You may also be eligible for outside scholarships. Read more about scholarships.

A signed copy of your tax return or tax transcript may be requested if you are selected for verification.

Non-tax filers, including parents and independent students, that are selected for verification must submit a Non-Filing Letter from the IRS.

Federal regulations require SFA to monitor and resolve unusual enrollment history of selected students. SFA is required to review all of the applicant’s transcripts from previously attended colleges or universities. Therefore, all transcripts must be submitted to SFA whether credit was earned or not. After this additional verification is completed by SFA’s Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships, it will be determined the if the student is eligible for additional Pell Grant awards.

Students may be selected by the federal processor to verify their identity and sign a statement of educational purpose. Valid Government-issued photo identification is required to satisfy this requirement.

All first-time college students are required to have a High School Diploma, GED, or an equivalent in order to receive financial aid. Documentation, such as an official high school transcript, may be requested to verify completion of this requirement.

You are a non-degree seeking student if you haven’t officially been admitted into an SFA degree program but are taking classes here. This designation usually applies to post-baccalaureate students. You might be waiting for official admission into a graduate program, or you want to take a couple of classes without pursuing a degree.

As a non-degree student you are ineligible for financial aid.

The federal government considers you a noncitizen, eligible to complete the FAFSA, if you are any one of the following:

• U.S. permanent resident, with a Permanent Resident Card (I-551)
• Conditional permanent resident with a Conditional Green Card (I-551C)
• The holder of an Arrival-Departure Record (I-94) from the Department of Homeland Security showing any one of the following designations:
  • Refugee
  • Asylum Granted
  • Parolee
    • I-94 confirms you were paroled for a minimum of one year and status has not expired.
  • T-Visa holder
    • T-1, T-2, T-3, etc.
  • or Cuban-Haitian Entrant.
• The holder of a valid certification or eligibility letter from the U.S. Department of Health and Human services showing the following designation:
  • Victim of human trafficking.
• A citizen of:
  • American Samoa (AS)
  • Guam (GU)
  • N. Mariana Islands (MP)
  • Puerto Rico (PR)
  • Republic of Palau (PW)
  • Republic of the Marshall Islands (MH)
  • Federated States of Micronesia (FM)
  • or the U.S. Virgin Islands (VI).

If your citizenship status has recently changed from an eligible noncitizen to a U.S. citizen, contacting the Social Security Administration (SSA) to update your citizenship status will help you avoid delays processing your student financial aid.

Non-citizens classified as Texas residents for tuition purposes under HB 1403 or SB 1528 are not eligible to receive federal financial aid, but you may be eligible for state financial aid.

As a Texas resident, you may apply for state financial assistance by completing the TASFA. You will need to submit a completed TASFA application and a signed copy of the applicable tax return to the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships. You'll need to submit your notarized affidavit to the Office of Admissions at admissionsdata@sfasu.edu.

We will review your TASFA application and determine if you meet the eligibility requirements for state financial assistance.

If you are not a citizen of the U.S. or an eligible non-citizen, you are not eligible for federal student aid. Contact the Office of International Programs.