Financial Aid

Welcome to the Class of 2027 Financial Aid Newsletter! Please use the information and resources in this guide to learn about financial aid, how to apply for financial aid, and to ensure you take the steps needed to meet the Texas Education Agency (TEA) graduation requirement.

Beginning with students enrolled in 12th grade during the 2021-2022 school year, each student must do ONE of the following to graduate:

1. Complete and submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
2. Complete and submit a Texas Application for State Financial Aid (TASFA)
3. Submit a signed opt-out form (link provided below)

For Further Information

If you have any questions regarding House Bill 3, please contact HB3info@tea.texas.gov or visit the TEA website.

FAFSA: To be eligible to complete the FAFSA, the student must be a U.S. citizen or Permanent Resident or be an eligible non-citizen. See eligible non-citizen statuses at https://studentaid.gov/understand-aid/eligibility/requirements/non-us-citizens. Scroll to the FAFSA section to learn more about the FAFSA and how to apply.

TASFA: Students who are not eligible to complete the FAFSA due to citizenship requirements but who do legally reside in Texas can complete the TASFA. Visit https://www.highered.texas.gov/texas-residency/ to see if you qualify for legal residence in Texas. Scroll to the TASFA section to learn more about the FAFSA and how to apply.

Opt-Out Form: Students who do not plan to go to college or trade school, who do not qualify for the FAFSA or TASFA, or whose families simply have no intention of applying for financial aid must submit an opt-out form to meet the Texas graduation requirement. That form is linked below.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) opens on October 1 every year for the following school year with the state priority deadline of January 15. Some years, including this one, it opens early. To complete the FAFSA, follow the steps below.

1. Create FSA ID: Student and parent(s) must each create an FSA ID at https://studentaid.gov/fsa-id/create-account. Most of the time only one parent will need an FSA ID, but there will be times that both parents need an FSA ID or the parent and the stepparent will need an FSA ID. Parents without an SSN must still create an FSA ID. Watch this video for a guide on how to create your FSA ID.
2. Begin FAFSA Application: The FAFSA is very simple these days and can be completed in as little as 10-15 minutes! The FAFSA works best when the student completes their portion of the application before the parent completes their portion. Class of 2027 seniors need to complete the 2027-2028 FAFSA. Students will enter their personal information, invite their parent via their parent's email address, and add the colleges to which they plan to apply so those colleges receive their FAFSA to review for financial aid offers. See the chart below for a guide on which parent(s) need to complete the contributor information of the FAFSA. Student completes their portion, signs, and submits.
3. Parent Contribution: Parent receives email invitation to contribute to the FAFSA. Note: This does NOT mean parents are agreeing to help fund their student's college education. Parent information is simply a requirement for students considered dependent's to be considered for financial aid. Without parent information, students will be ineligible for any financial aid.
4. Confirmation: Student receives confirmation email with Student Aid Index (SAI). The SAI is what college's use to determine how much and what type(s) of need-based financial aid to offer applicants.
5. FAFSA Processing: New this year, the FAFSA processes immediately! This means students can immediately see their SAI, Pell Grant eligibility, and student loan eligibility. This does NOT mean students must take out loans; it is informing students of what they qualify to receive from the Federal government. The Department of Education sends the student's SAI to the colleges the student listed on their FAFSA.
6. Financial Aid Award: To receive a financial aid offer, students must be admitted to the college and have added the college to their FAFSA. This is why it's important to apply to colleges early and to complete the FAFSA early. Delays in applying result in delayed results and less funding available. After submitting the FAFSA and being admitted to the college, the student receives notification from college/university that FAFSA has been received and will inform student if they have been flagged for verification. If flagged for verification, the student must complete the verification process before the college will process FAFSA. Expect to begin receiving award letters in mid-February if student submitted college applications and FAFSA in the fall semester.
7. Evaluate and Decide: Once the student has received their college admissions decisions and financial aid offers, the student and parent(s) should review their options together. Ensure the college is affordable and will not require more debt than you are comfortable accumulating. Many colleges require students to submit their decision by May 1st.

Special Notes:

• Students need to the initiate FAFSA application.
• Both student and parent must approve IRS consent. To be considered for aid, the FAFSA checks the IRS for tax documents, even if there is no tax filed.
• If required, student and parent need to have their 2025 taxes filed to complete the 2027-2028 college year FAFSA application. It is normal for the student to NOT have filed taxes.
• Student MUST provide parent information for financial aid eligibility. There are very few exceptions that qualify a student as an independent. See those at https://studentaid.gov/apply-for-aid/fafsa/filling-out/dependency.
• Consult with your College & Career Facilitator before answering "yes" to extenuating circumstances.
• Upload processed FAFSA screenshot to SchooLinks. SchooLinks is how we track that the graduation requirement has been met.

Students who are not U.S. Citizens, U.S. legal permanent residents, or eligible noncitizens are not eligible to complete the FAFSA and do not qualify for federal financial assistance to pay for college. However, they may qualify for state aid.

Beginning Fall 2025, changes to Texas law mean that students who are not lawfully present in the U.S. generally cannot qualify for Texas resident (in-state) tuition at public colleges and universities.

Previously, certain undocumented students could qualify for in-state tuition under Senate Bill 1528 (the Texas Dream Act).

TASFA: Students who are not lawfully present are also generally not eligible for Texas state financial aid through TASFA because state aid requires Texas residency. Students with an immigration status that establishes lawful presence may still qualify for in-state tuition and/or TASFA if they meet the other eligibility requirements. Students should check with their college's admissions and financial-aid offices for an individual determination.

Before you Apply

To be eligible to apply for state financial aid you must meet the following criteria:

• You must not be eligible to apply for federal aid through the FAFSA
• Have/will have a high school diploma or a General Education Development (GED) certificate
• Be classified as a legal Texas resident
• Be enrolled for a minimum of nine hours in a degree-seeking program
• Be registered with the Selective Service, or be exempt
• Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress
• Submit a Residency Affidavit to the college's Financial Aid and/or Registrar's Office. *(Please note: This form is for admitted students only. If you have not graduated high school, your submitted form will stay in pending status until your final high school transcript is received by the Admissions Office. We encourage you to fill out the TASFA even if your Residency Affidavit is pending.)
• No felony conviction or crime involving a controlled substance

The TAFSA opens on October 1 with the state priority deadline of January 15.

1. Create an account through Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board: Student creates account using personal email address.
   
2. If parents file US taxes, request 2025 IRS tax transcript at https://www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript
3. Make copies of tax transcript if received by mail.
4. Upload or mail tax transcript to college if requested. Only send tax transcript to the college if requested, otherwise, do not send.
5. Once both the student and parent have submitted their information to TASFA, students need to submit a screenshot of the confirmation email to SchooLinks to prove the graduation requirement has been met.

Note: TASFA is an online application sent directly to college financial aid offices, not to any government agency.

Now that you've completed either the FAFSA, TASFA, or Opt-Out Form, you need to submit proof to SchooLinks to meet the Texas graduation requirement. Examples of what qualifies as proof for the FAFSA are shown below. For the TASFA, students can screenshot the confirmation email as long as it includes their name. The Opt-Out Form can be signed and uploaded to SchooLinks. See instructions for all three below.

The CSS Profile is an online application used by some colleges and scholarship programs to award non-federal institutional aid. This will be required by some colleges in addition to FAFSA or TASFA. It will ask you financial questions so that the school(s) can determine what aid you are eligible for.

Check your colleges' website to determine if they require the CSS Profile. A list of participating schools is available online through the CSS Profile website. Some schools may also require divorced or separated parents to complete separate applications.

Like FAFSA and TASFA, the CSS Profile opens on October 1 (though, it opened early with the FAFSA this year!). Schools may have various deadlines, so be sure to check with each school you are applying to.

What's included in the Cost of Attendance?

COA is broken into two categories: direct expenses and indirect expenses. Direct expenses are those that must be paid directly to the institution, including tuition & fees and room & board. These are the most predictable and the bigger costs. Indirect expenses are additional costs that may be due at the beginning of the year or throughout the year and are sometimes paid to organizations other than the college. Indirect expenses vary widely from student to student and school to school.

Direct Expenses:

• Tuition & Fees: this covers the cost of classes and all the fees required to be a student at the college, such as a recreation center fee, library fee, etc. The price will depend on the number of hours the student is taking as well as their major.
• Room & Board: This is the cost of a dorm room and meal plan, both of which will have various options that can be researched on the colleges website. If a student chooses to live off-campus, the price would be different and would depend on rent, groceries, utility bills, etc.

Indirect Expenses: The posted estimates are based on averages the the college determines.

• Transportation: consider whether you will have a car on campus requiring a parking pass, gas, and car maintenance, or will be flying out of state, or will be living on campus with no car, etc.
• Textbooks: students are required to pay for their course materials in college. This cost varies widely from semester to semester. New textbooks cost more than rented or used; more and more classes now require online course material access.
• Personal Expenses: this is the area in which students have the most control. Living on a budget can reduce the cost while spending freely can add up quite a bit.

You will see a college's COA posted on their website. Look at the direct vs. indirect expenses and consider how much it may cost you. For example, will you be living at home or with family somewhere for free? Will you go to a college where you qualify for free tuition and fees (see below)? Both of these can cut costs significantly.

Most often, college will not be affordable from the FAFSA or TASFA alone. As such, it is important for students and parents to communicate openly about affordability and research college costs together. All colleges are required to have a Net Price Calculator on their website. While you won't know the true cost of each college until you've been admitted and given a financial aid award letter, the Net Price Calculator is a tool you can use for your best estimate. Search Net Price Calculator on the website of each college you're considering to get estimates.

In addition to applying for financial aid, students planning to go to college should apply for scholarships throughout high school and when they're enrolled in college. While most scholarships are for high school seniors and enrolled college students, there are many scholarships for younger students, so start applying now!

Many Texas colleges offer tuition coverage for qualifying students based on family income. Since laws changed in July of 2025, many, though not all, of the colleges now require students to be Texas Residents and have submitted FAFSA to the college to qualify for the free tuition offers. The tuition guarantees are not scholarships; rather, they typically use the Pell Grant, TEXAS Grant, and other grants to cover tuition and fees for qualifying students. Please read the criteria carefully on each colleges website to check eligibility.

Scholarships can be awarded from a variety of organizations for any number of reasons. In fact, the amount of scholarships that exist is overwhelming. While I post scholarships on Instagram and on Canvas, please do not limit yourselves to the scholarships I share. Sign up for some scholarship search websites to narrow the search. As with college admissions, students who have proven themselves to be strong students academically and with other skills will have more scholarship opportunities than students who do not have strong grades or activities. Keep this in mind, parents and underclassmen; start strong freshman year and keep going! Hard work can literally pay!

University Scholarships

• Need-Based Scholarships: are awarded primarily or exclusively based on the applicant's financial needs, typically based on the FAFSA, TASFA or CSS Profile. As a result, the application process for these scholarships does not tend to extend far beyond disclosing the relevant financial information. It's important to apply to the college and complete your financial aid applications early to qualify because scholarships are first-come, first-serve.
• Merit-Based Scholarships: are awarded to students who excel in a particular area. That might mean students with high academic grades and/or SAT/ACT scores (this is often a big component) will be the most likely to receive some scholarships, or it might mean that to be eligible, students need to demonstrate exceptional leadership abilities or a strong commitment to serving their community, for example. Some merit-based scholarships may look at students' athletic or fine arts background, their ability to write a compelling essay, or their extracurricular experience.
• Each college has their own process and deadlines for scholarships. Typically, these deadlines are early (i.e. November or December). Please check with the schools on your list for more information and ask your College & Career Facilitator for support.

Third Party Scholarships:

• Check out SchooLinks (run by KISD) and MRHS College & Career Canvas (run by Mrs. Boyle) where you will find hundreds of scholarships. Please remember some scholarships are available to students in ALL grade levels! It is important to double check the scholarship requirements to ensure that you are eligible to apply.
• Instagram Pages:
• @mavs4college - MRHS CCF account - I share lots of scholarships!
• @collegeforallprogram
• @xollegepass
• @scholarworld
• @scholarships_360
• @scholarshipscom
• @scholarshipinformer
• @scholasrhipmoneyforstudents
• @scholarshipscorner
• @accessscholarships
• @scholarship.junkie
• Additional Scholarship websites
• BigFuture Scholarship Page: https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/scholarships
• The Scholarship Plug: updated weekly!
• SoFi: https://www.sofi.com/scholarship-search/
• Career One Stop: https://www.careeronestop.org/Toolkit/Training/find-scholarships.aspx
• Scholarships 360 and Scholarships.com are really good about providing lists for specific majors/focus areas, niches, etc. too!

Office: Counselor Office (room 1526)

Email: KathrynSBoyle@katyisd.org

College & Career Website - https://bit.ly/MRHSCCF

Instagram: @mavs4college

Senior Beginning of Year Presentation: Class of 2027

Students can meet with Mrs. Boyle by appointment only. To request a meeting with Mrs. Boyle, fill out the MRHS Counselor Request Google Form. Include details about your reason for requesting a meeting, and be diligent about checking your KISD Outlook email because some requests can be resolved via email rather than missing class time.

For parents wanting a meeting, please email Mrs. Boyle your request, including the topic of your meeting, your student's name, and your availability. Meetings will be between 7:00 AM-3:00 PM.

Use this Senior Planning Packet to help organize your career plans and college search.