Apply for Aid

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

Completing the FAFSA is the first step to apply for many financial aid programs. The FAFSA is always free. Beware of scams as you begin the application process. You never have to pay a fee to submit the FAFSA or pay anyone to help you fill it out. If you need help completing your FAFSA, please visit us during our office hours. You must meet certain eligibility requirements to complete a FAFSA:

  • Be a U.S. citizen or an eligible noncitizen.
    • Don't meet this requirement? Certain non-resident students may be eligible to complete the Texas Application for State Financial Aid (TASFA). Find information about TASFA on our TASFA Applicants page.
  • Have a valid Social Security number (with the exception of students from the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, or the Republic of Palau).

For timely processing, it is strongly recommended that students who have Social Security numbers (SSN) include the SSN on the admission application as it is needed to link the FAFSA to your UTA record and load onto our system. Providing your SSN will ensure that information moves through our processes without delays.


Application Process

  1. Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online at StudentAid.gov. If you are not sure which FAFSA to complete or what information is requirement, please review the chart below.
    2. Enrollment Period Required FAFSA Required Tax Information Flyer
    May 12, 2025 - May 6, 2026 2025-2026 FAFSA 2023 Federal Income Tax Information 25-26 FAFSA Infographic
    May 2026 - May 2027 2026-2027 FAFSA 2024 Federal Income Tax Information 26-27 FAFSA Infographic
  2. Complete a process called verification if you are selected by the U.S. Department of Education. Learn more about the verification process on our Verification page.
  3. Once your financial aid file is completed and your financial aid has been offered, our office will send a Financial Aid Offer Notification to your UTA email account outlining your financial aid package.
    • General eligibility requirements a student must meet to receive financial aid: 
      • Demonstrate financial need (for most programs).
      • Be enrolled or accepted for enrollment in an eligible degree or teacher certificate program (PLEASE NOTE: Students in nursing certificate programs are not eligible for financial aid).
      • Meet minimum enrollment requirements. Information about enrollment requirements can be found on our Financial Aid Disbursement page.
      • Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). Information about SAP can be found on our SAP Policies and Procedures page.
      • Not be in default on a federal student loan and not owe money on a federal student grant.
      • Use federal student aid only for educational purposes.
  4. In order to receive the financial aid funds offered, you must accept the offers online through your MyMav account.

Change in Financial Circumstances

If there have been changes in your financial situation or if there are any unusual circumstances that could affect your ability or your family's ability to contribute to your education, please visit our Special Circumstances webpage.

Additional Information

Corrections can be made by logging into your StudentAid.gov account.

Possible corrections that may be needed include:

  • Correcting a mistake
  • Adding a student's or contributor's signature
  • Changing a contributor's consent and approval to federal tax information
  • Adding or deleting a school code

If you are a dependent student and you change information about your parent(s), one of your parents must sign your FAFSA form electronically using their own StudentAid.gov account.

Federal tax information transferred directly from the IRS cannot be changed on your online FAFSA form. If you filed an IRS Form 1040-X amended return, contact the UTA Office of Financial Aid to discuss.

For more information about correcting and updating you FAFSA for, visit StudentAid.gov.

  • A contributor is anyone who is required to provide approval and consent for Federal Tax Information (FTI) and a signature on the FAFSA including:
    • The student,
    • The student's spouse (if applicable),
    • A biological or adoptive parent, or
    • The spouse of a remarried parent who is on the FAFSA.
  • Contributors will need to provide personal and financial information on their section of the FAFSA.
  • Each contributor will need their own Federal Student Aid (FSA) ID and need to provide approval and consent.
  • The new FAFSA is student-driven, meaning the student's answers of their section will determine who will be a contributor in addition to the student. Student will need the contributor's:
    • Name,
    • Date of birth,
    • Social Security Number (SSN), and
    • Email address (to invite to complete their required portion of the FAFSA).
  • If a dependent student's parents are unmarried and living together, both parents will be contributors.
  • Dependent students whose parents filed their U.S. income tax return as Married Filing Jointly only require one parent contributor to complete the FAFSA.
  • If the student's parents filed separately, both parents will be considered contributors.
  • If an independent student is married and filed separately, both individuals are contributors.

NOTE: To create an FSA ID, please visit the Federal Student Aid's Create an Account webpage.

All FAFSA contributors (parent(s), stepparent, spouse) are required to create their own FSA ID to complete their section of the student’s FAFSA form. If a dependent student’s parent or an independent student's spouse does not have a SSN, they are able to create an FSA ID. The parent(s) or spouse's address will be used for identification purposes in place of a SSN, if the parent or spouse does not have one. This will decrease FAFSA processing time as parents and spouses without a SSN will be able to complete and sign their section electronically, rather than having to print, sign and mail their FAFSA signature page.

Check out this helpful step-by-step guide on how to get an FSA ID if you don't have a SSN:

English FSA ID without SSN Guide

The parent wizard within the FAFSA form offers a series of filtering questions that determine which parent(s) must be included on a dependent student's FAFSA form.

  • Parents who live together:
    • In the case of a student whose parents are married and not separated, or who are unmarried but live together, the FAFSA shall include the income and assets of both parents.
  • Divorced or separated parents:
    • In the case of a student whose parents are divorced or separated, but not remarried, the FAFSA shall include only the income and assets of the parent who provides the greater portion of the student’s financial support, even if the student does not live with that parent.
  • Death of a parent:
    • If either of the parents died, the surviving parent shall be considered a single parent on the FAFSA, unless that parent remarried.
    • If both parents have died, the student shall not report any parental income or assets on the FAFSA.
  • Remarried parents:
    • If a parent who is divorced or widowed and is a contributor on the FAFSA has remarried, the income of the parent’s spouse must be included if the student’s parent and stepparent are married as of the date the FAFSA is completed.
  • Single parent:
    • For a single parent who is not divorced, separated, or remarried, the income and assets of the single parent shall be included on the FAFSA.

For more information about reporting parent information on the FAFSA, visit the Federal Student Aid website.

New to Filing the FAFSA?

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View some short video tutorials to help you navigate each step in the process.

UTA Financial Aid TV

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