MERIT AWARDS

Merit-based scholarships and grants are generally renewable for a total of 8 semesters, not including summers, as long as the specified criteria is met. No paperwork is required to continue to receive your scholarships. For information on your award's renewal criteria, click here: Merit Scholarships

NEED-BASED AID

Trinity University uses the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to determine eligibility for federal, state, and institutional need-based financial aid. Only U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents may apply for federal student financial aid. You must resubmit the FAFSA each year to renew your need-based aid. If you have never applied for this type of assistance, please follow the instructions below:

STEP 1: OBTAIN YOUR PIN

In order to complete the FAFSA, you and a parent or guardian must both apply for a federal Personal Identification Number, or PIN (independent students can apply without parental information). Your PIN will serve as your electronic signature and will provide access to personal records. If you do not have a PIN already, you may apply for a federal PIN at www.pin.ed.gov.


STEP 2: COMPLETE & SUBMIT THE FAFSA


To be considered for need-based financial aid at Trinity for the 2009-2010 academic year (summer 2009, fall 2009, and spring 2010 semesters), you must complete the FAFSA and include Trinity’s school code: 003647. The 2009-2010 FAFSA application is available beginning January 1, and may be completed online at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Trinity’s FAFSA priority filing date for returning students is May 1.

The FAFSA takes several factors into account, including adjusted gross income, federal and state taxes paid, assets and holdings, the size of the family, and the number of siblings enrolled in college. The FAFSA results, known as the Student Aid Report (SAR), provide an Expected Family Contribution (EFC), or the amount of money you are expected to supply for your educational costs. Your family's actual out-of-pocket expenses may ultimately be more or less than your EFC. Eligibility for need-based financial aid is based on your demonstrated financial need using this formula:


   Trinity's Cost of Attendance
- Expected Family Contribution (EFC)
= Demonstrated Financial Need

Information Needed to File the FAFSA
When you sit down to complete the FAFSA, we recommend that you have the information listed below on hand. If your parents are divorced, separated, or were never married, include information on the FAFSA only for the parent with whom you lived for more than 50% of the preceding 12 months. If this parent is remarried, you will need to also supply your step-parent’s information.

• your parents’ Federal Income Tax Return for last year (and your own, if you filed)
• your Social Security number
• your parents’ W-2 forms and other records of money earned (and your own, if you worked) for last year
• information regarding untaxed income that you or your parents may have received last year (e.g., Social Security benefits, pre-tax contributions to retirement plans, child support received)
• most recent bank statements
• most recent information pertaining to business and investment holdings for you and your parents
• your alien registration number or permanent residence card (if you’re not a U.S. citizen)
• Trinity’s school code – 003647, which will ensure that we receive your information



To help you organize your information prior to completing the FAFSA, you can print and complete a FAFSA on the Web Worksheet.

Special Circumstances: The process of determining eligibility for financial aid uses standard formulas and student budgets. However, the Office of Financial Aid recognizes that some students have unusual or extenuating circumstances that may not be evident in the standard process of determining eligibility. Students with special circumstances are encouraged to contact the Office of Financial Aid for review of their financial aid package based on those individual circumstances.


STEP 3: REVIEW & VERIFY YOUR FAFSA RESULTS

After completing the FAFSA, you’ll receive a copy of your results, called a Student Aid Report (SAR). Review it carefully! Check each item for accuracy and make any necessary corrections.

If you do not receive a SAR from the federal processor within 14 days of completing your application online, check on the processing status at www.fafsa.ed.gov or by calling 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243).


If your SAR indicates that you have been 'selected for verification', please see the verification section of this site for more information.