FAFSA

 The Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, is an application that helps colleges and universities determine your eligibility for financial aid. In fact, nearly all students who complete the FAFSA receive some type of financial assistance.

Before you apply...

  • Make sure you’re eligible to apply. Look for eligibility requirements in this guide under “Am I eligible for Financial Aid?”
  • The FAFSA and renewal FAFSA are available each October for the upcoming academic year. Apply early in order to get first consideration for awards!
  • Set up an FSA ID for (both) yourself (and your parent). An FSA ID is a username and password that allows students and parents to identify themselves electronically to access Federal Student Aid websites. For more information, please visit the FSA ID website. 
  • Gather all required documents and information, such as your complete federal income tax return, Social Security number and bank statements.

When filing the FAFSA, don’t forget to …

  • Provide your correct Social Security number.
  • Complete the income and asset information. Do not leave it blank. For questions regarding income, if the answer is zero or if the question does not apply to you, enter 0.
  • If you and/or your parents already filed a federal tax return with the IRS, you may be eligible to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool, which is the best and easiest way to provide accurate tax information. With just a few simple steps, you and/or your parents can transfer information directly into your FAFSA.
  • List our Title IV Federal School Code: 042421
  • Keep copies of all documents and correspondence.

After you have applied for financial aid …

  • Check your Student Aid Report (SAR) for accuracy. You will receive a copy of your SAR via email or mail about a week after the FAFSA has been filed. The SAR summarizes information included on the FAFSA. The SAR also will indicate Pell Grant eligibility, if any, and the Expected Family Contribution (EFC).
  • Check your Student Portal for updates from the Student Financial Aid and Scholarships office. Select the aid year you want to review. The amount of your financial aid award will be posted on myUNTDallas, where you can accept or decline each award.

A Faster Way to FAFSA

IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT)

Looking to receive your financial aid as quickly as possible? The data retrieval tool allows applicants who have already filed their federal income tax returns to prefill the answers to certain questions on the FAFSA by transferring data from their federal income tax returns. This tool greatly expedites the financial aid process. Click here for step-by-step instructions on how to use the data retrieval tool. As always, do not hesitate to contact the financial aid office with any questions you may have!

Expected Enrollment

All students are required to provide information about their expected enrollment. Students will need to access My Financial Aid within their Student Center on myUNTD. Timely submission of this information, in addition to completing any other "To Do List" items, will reduce delays in processing financial aid awards for the upcoming year. Below are instructions on how to complete this.

Quick Steps

  1. Log onto UNT Dallas student portal
  2. On the menu to the left, select Financial Aid
  3. In the "Financials and Financial Aid Section", select My Financial Aid
  4. Select the appropriate Aid Year
  5. Select Expected Enrollment Form
  6. Select your expected enrollment and click Submit

Federal Loan Counseling

There are various types of loan counseling students may need to complete as a prerequisite to receiving their loan(s). A few of the different types of counseling that may be required include:

  • Entrance Counseling:  If you are a new borrower at UNTD (including transfer students), you may complete your Federal Direct Loan Entrance counseling at anytime  at StudentLoans.gov.  You will need your FSA user name and password and enter University of North Texas at Dallas as a school to receive the results. Parent PLUS borrowers do not need to complete Entrance Counseling.
  • Financial Awareness Counseling: If you a continuing borrower at UNTD, you may complete your Financial Awareness Counseling through StudentLoans.gov. You must enter University of North Texas at Dallas as your school to receive the results. Be sure to keep your confirmation number for future reference.
  • PLUS Counseling
  • Exit Counseling: Each Federal Direct Loan borrower at the University of North Texas is required to complete Student Exit Counseling shortly before completing a degree, leaving UNTD (i.e., withdrawing, graduation) or ceasing half-time enrollment.  To complete this requirement, go to StudentLoans.gov, select Complete Counseling then Exit Counseling.

Students can stay informed as to which types of counseling may be required of them by checking their to-do list on the UNT Dallas student portal. To determine what you need to complete your counseling session click here.

Ready to complete your counseling session right now? Click here.

Master Promissory Note (MPN)

The Master Promissory Note is a required legal document which serves as your promise to repay your loan(s) and any accrued interest and fees to the U.S. Department of Education. It also explains the terms and conditions of your loan(s).

Again, ensure you are regularly monitoring your to-do list. Like many other types of financial aid requirements, the MPN will populate here.

To complete an electronic MPN:

  • From the StudentLoans.gov home page, click on the "Log In" button located in the "Manage My Direct Loans" box. The Log in page will appear.
  • Use of another person's FSA ID constitutes fraud. Use only your own FSA ID information.
  • Once logged in, click on the "Complete MPN" option located under the "Master Promissory Note" heading on the left menu bar. The Master Promissory Note (MPN) page will appear.
  • Select the type of loan you would like to receive.
  • Follow the instructions to complete, sign, and submit your MPN.

Ordering Tax Return Transcripts Online

The IRS system for ordering a transcript is called "Get Transcript" and it allows a person to get a transcript online as a PDF immediately if the tax return for the chosen year has been processed. 

Below is the direct link for ordering your tax return transcript online: 
http://www.irs.gov/Individuals/Get-Transcript  

You need to create an account initially by providing your name, email, address, SSN and answering some security questions. The years displayed will differ depending on what is available to you in each section. If you click on "Higher Education/Student Aid" the screen changes to suggest that you get a tax return transcript. You can click on any year that is hyperlinked and a PDF will open in that same screen.