SCHOLARSHIPS & FINANCIAL AID
20212022 UNDERSTANDING
YOUR FINANCIAL AID OFFER
Definitions
How to Process Your Financial Aid
Where to Begin
Processing Federal Direct Loans
Smart Borrowing Tips
Awards from Outside Sources
Revised Financial Aid Oer
Additional Options
Types of Aid
Grants
Loans
Federal and Texas College Work Study
Part-Time Employment
Disbursement
Financial Aid Disbursements
Financial Aid Refunds
Payment Information and Options
Policies
Financial Aid Oer Appeals
Extenuating Circumstances
Satisfactory Academic Progress
Changes in Enrolled Hours
Beginning Attendance
Withdrawing from the University
Renewal of the FAFSA/TASFA
Summer Aid
Services
Money Education Center
Student Employment Oce
Veteran Services Oce
Contact Information
Types of Aid Chart
WHAT’S INSIDE
Definitions
How to Process Your Financial Aid
Where to Begin
Processing Federal Direct Loans
Smart Borrowing Tips
Awards from Outside Sources
Revised Financial Aid Oer
Additional Options
Types of Aid
Grants
Loans
Federal and Texas College Work Study
Part-Time Employment
Disbursement
Financial Aid Disbursements
Financial Aid Refunds
Payment Information and Options
Policies
Financial Aid Oer Appeals
Extenuating Circumstances
Satisfactory Academic Progress
Changes in Enrolled Hours
Beginning Attendance
Withdrawing from the University
Renewal of the FAFSA/TASFA
Summer Aid
Services
Money Education Center
Student Employment Oce
Veteran Services Oce
Contact Information
Types of Aid Chart
Cost of Attendance (COA)
The COA is an estimate of what it costs a student
to attend Texas A&M. It includes tuition and fees,
housing and meals, and allowances for books,
supplies, transportation, and personal expenses.
Expected Family Contribution (EFC)
Calculated from the information you and your
parent(s) reported on the Free Application for Federal
Student Aid (FAFSA) or Texas Application for State
Financial Aid (TASFA). The EFC is used to determine
your eligibility for most nancial aid.
Direct Costs
Direct Costs will be on your bill from Texas A&M
University. This will include tuition and fees. It will
also include housing and meals if you are living on
campus.
Indirect Costs
Indirect costs will vary by student. It includes books,
supplies, transportation and personal expenses. It
will include housing and meals if you are living o
campus.
Net Cost
Net cost is Cost of Attendance minus grants and
scholarships.
Financial Need
Financial need is the basis for oering most nancial
aid programs. Financial need is determined by the
following equation:
College Financing Plan (CFP)
The CFP provides a summary of aid oered. It details
net cost for your family based on COA minus grants,
scholarships and other resources. You may use this
to compare aid oers with other universities. You can
view the CFP in the Financial Aid Portal by selecting a
printable version of your oer.
Financial Aid Offer
The oer letter combines various forms of aid to
meet your nancial need. The amount of oered aid
may not meet your entire nancial need. If this is the
case, please review the Types of Aid section in this
booklet.
DEFINITIONS
COST OF ATTENDANCE [COA]
EXPECTED FAMILY CONTRIBUTION [EFC]
FINANCIAL NEED
MINUS
EQUALS
Gift Aid (does not need to be repaid)
• Grants
• Scholarships and waivers
Self-Help
• Loans (repayable after last date of attendance) -
federal, state, institutional
• Student Employment (work and receive a
paycheck) is work-study, part-time employment,
or assistantships.
Emergency Aid
Texas A&M is committed to your success, including
overcoming temporary nancial hardships. Resources
available for nancial emergencies include emergency
aid, short-term loans, government assistance and
food resources. Visit the Emergency Aid page on our
website for more information.
Texas A&M strives to provide the greatest amount
of aid to students with the highest need and keep
loan debt to a minimum. Financial aid is awarded on
a rst-come, rst-served basis typically based on a
priority date. See the Types of Aid chart in the back
of this booklet.
Where to Begin
1. Read the Financial Aid Oer carefully before
accepting, reducing, or declining individual
awards.
2. Review the estimated cost of attendance in the
Financial Aid Portal to assist in planning how
much loan funding you may need.
3. Review the Policies section in this booklet
to understand factors that may change your
nancial aid oer.
4. Review the Process section in this booklet.
5. Accept, reduce, or decline your oered aid.
Step 1: Visit howdy.tamu.edu.
Step 2: Login using your Texas A&M Net ID.
Step 3: Click the Financial Aid Portal icon.
Step 4: Follow the instructions on the Awards
page to begin processing aid.
Processing Federal Direct Loans
The Financial Aid Oer shows your eligibility for the
Subsidized and/or Unsubsidized Federal Direct Loan
programs. After accepting a loan on the Awards page,
complete the requirements listed on the Status page
in the Financial Aid Portal. To receive your funds you
will need to complete a Master Promissory Note by
going to the Federal Student Aid website at
studentaid.gov. Interest rates are set by the federal
government each year and are subject to change.
Visit nancialaid.tamu.edu for additional details.
Loan Entrance Counseling
Students participating in the Federal Direct Loan
programs for the rst time must complete Loan
Entrance Counseling prior to the disbursement
of these loan funds. Please visit howdy.tamu.edu,
click the Financial Aid Portal icon and follow the
instructions on the Status page to complete this
counseling online.
Loan Exit Counseling
Students participating in the Federal Direct Loan
programs must complete Loan Exit Counseling upon
withdrawing, graduating, dropping below half-time,
or not returning to Texas A&M. If this is the case, you
will be provided information on how to complete this
counseling online.
PROCESS
Smart Borrowing
If borrowed responsibly, student loans can be a
great resource to assist in funding your education.
However, Texas A&M University highly encourages
you to consider the following prior to accepting any
student loan.
1. Maximize your free money. Submit your
FAFSA early and apply for scholarships every
year. Research scholarship opportunities at
scholarships.tamu.edu.
2. Manage your money so that you can minimize
your debt. Know your tuition and fees costs,
choose aordable housing, and visit
money.tamu.edu to learn how the Money
Education (ME) Center can help you to create a
budget that works.
3. Borrow only what you need. Uncertain of how
much to borrow? Contact the ME Center for help.
4. Know your student loans. Regularly review your
federal student loans on the Federal Student Aid
website at studentaid.gov. The My Loan Debt
page of the Financial Aid Portal also provides
additional information regarding your Texas A&M
student loans. Contact the ME Center if you need
help reviewing your student loan debt.
5. Understand student loan repayment. Visit
studentaid.gov for information on student loan
repayment and to calculate your estimated
monthly payment for your federal student loans
using the Loan Simulator. Research starting
salaries for your planned career eld and
compare them to the estimated monthly loan
payments to determine which student loan
repayment plans you can aord. Contact the
ME Center with any questions you may have
regarding student loan repayment.
6. Make your student loan payments on time.
Not repaying your student loans on time or
making payments late can negatively impact
your credit score and your ability to buy a house
or car, or even get a job. Can’t aord your
payments? Contact your student loan servicer(s)
at studentaid.gov or reach out to the ME Center
for help.
Awards from Outside Sources
If you receive any type of award from a source other
than Texas A&M University (typically scholarships
or corporate sponsorships) you must report it to
Scholarships & Financial Aid as soon as possible.
Changes to your nancial aid oer may be required
in accordance with federal and state rules. If you no
longer qualify for aid you have already received, you
may be required to repay it.
To report an award from an outside source, please
complete the Report Outside Scholarships &
Resources Form in the Financial Aid Portal.
Revised Financial Aid Offer
It may be necessary to revise the amount and/or
types of nancial aid oered to you. Changes to
your nancial aid oer may result from one of the
following situations: additional awards, enrollment
changes, courses not counting in your program of
study, residency status change, nancial aid eligibility
change, classication change, or Education Abroad
participation. You will be notied of any change by
email to your University email account and should
review your Financial Aid Portal for changes right
away.
Additional Options
We encourage you to explore a variety of options to
assist in paying for college while attending Texas A&M
University. Many students choose to work part-time,
while some have borrowed funds through other non-
need-based loan programs.
Grants (does not need to be repaid)
A grant is money that does not have to be repaid.
All students pursuing their rst Bachelor’s degree
and meeting eligibility requirements are oered the
Federal Pell Grant. Students can receive the Federal
Pell Grant for only the equivalent of 12 full-time
semesters. All other grants are oered to eligible
students on a rst-come, rst-served basis. Federal
Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG)
requires Pell Grant eligibility.
Loans (must be repaid)
A loan is nancial aid that must be repaid. Borrowers
are responsible for signing a promissory note for each
loan program. When signed, the promissory note is
a legally binding agreement to repay the loan. The
promissory note should be read carefully and a copy
should be kept.
Direct Subsidized Loan
The Subsidized Loan is a federal loan that is awarded
based on nancial need. The federal government
will pay the interest on this loan as long as you are
enrolled half-time or more. After you graduate, leave
school, or drop below half-time enrollment, you
will have a six-month grace period before you are
required to begin repaying your loan.
Direct Unsubsidized Loan
The Federal Direct Unsubsidized loan is a federal
loan that can be used to help pay college costs. You
are responsible for paying the interest on the loan.
If you choose not to pay the interest while you are in
school, your interest will accrue and be capitalized;
this means your interest will be added to the principal
amount of your loan. After you graduate, leave
school, or drop below half-time enrollment, you
will have a six-month grace period before you are
required to begin repaying your loan.
Direct Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS)
Parents interested in borrowing a PLUS loan may
apply at studentaid.gov without any additional
information from our oce. A credit check is
required. Parents may request an amount up to the
cost of attendance minus other expected aid, as
noted on your Financial Aid Oer. You must submit a
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and
must be enrolled at Texas A&M at least half-time in
order to be eligible for this loan.
Alternative Loans
Another option to assist with paying for college is an
alternative loan through a private lending institution.
These loans should be used only after other options
have been exhausted or as an alternative to the
Parent PLUS Loan. You may compare alternative loan
lenders online at nancialaid.tamu.edu. Carefully
compare lenders and interest rates. Who can borrow
from a particular lender varies.
Emergency Tuition and Fees Loan (ETFL)
This loan provides temporary funding to pay tuition
and required fees by the tuition deadline. It must be
repaid in full within 90 days during the fall and spring
semesters, and within 30 days during the summer
term. Emergency Tuition and Fees Loans have a
simple annual interest rate of 5% and a processing
fee of $10. Additional information and applications
are available at nancialaid.tamu.edu.
Short-Term Loans (STL)
You may borrow up to $1,500 to assist with expenses
other than tuition and fees. This loan must be repaid
in full within one year. Short-term loans have a simple
annual interest rate of 8% and a processing fee of
$10. This application and additional information is
available at nancialaid.tamu.edu.
TYPES OF AID
Federal and Texas College Work Study (money you earn)
The Federal and Texas College Work Study programs
promote student access to college while providing
practical work experience. These programs assist
students with nancial need by helping them secure
on-campus positions as well as some o-campus
positions assisting the community. Work Study
earnings are not applied directly to tuition and fee
expenses. If employed, you will receive a biweekly
paycheck for actual hours worked up to the amount
of the work study oer. Visit jobsforaggies.tamu.edu
for more information.
Part-time Employment
Part-time employment is another way that many
students help meet the cost of an education.
College Station Students should contact the Student
Employment Oce (SEO). The SEO assists students
in nding part-time jobs on and o-campus. You
can access the online database 24 hours a day at
jobsforaggies.tamu.edu.
Galveston Students may apply for student employment at
the Galveston Human Resources Oce.
McAllen Students should contact the Student Employment
Oce (SEO). The SEO assists students in nding
part-time jobs on and o-campus. You can access
the online database 24 hours a day at jobsforaggies.
tamu.edu.
Financial Aid Disbursements
Most types of nancial aid are credited to your
student bill no earlier than 10 days before the start
of the semester. You must be registered for courses
and all required documentation must be complete.
Scholarships and other aid from outside sources
cannot be credited until funds are received and
processed by the University. Review your billing
statement through the Howdy portal to determine
when aid has been disbursed.
Financial Aid Refunds
If your accepted nancial aid is more than your
total bill, you will receive a refund of the remaining
amount. You are required to sign up for direct
deposit. To sign up, select the Manage My Refund
preferences link from the My Finances tab in the
Howdy portal. Signing up for direct deposit will help
ensure your refund is available to you as soon as
possible.
Once you sign up for this service, all refunds, except
refunds to parents resulting from a Federal Direct
PLUS Loan, will be deposited into your chosen bank
account.
Payment Information and Options
For payment deadlines, payment plans, types of
payments accepted and more details on fees and
other charges, please visit Student Business Services
online at sbs.tamu.edu.
DISBURSEMENT
Financial Aid Offer Appeal
You have the right to appeal your nancial aid oer.
Requests for changes in the amounts and/or sources
of aid packaged must be submitted in writing or
email and must explain the reason for the request. A
Scholarships & Financial Aid advisor will respond to
the request through your Texas A&M email account.
A copy of all correspondence will be placed in your
nancial aid le. Submitting an appeal does not
guarantee adjustments can or will be made.
Extenuating Circumstances
There may be times when the Free Application for
Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or Texas Application
for State Financial Aid (TASFA) does not reect your
family’s true nancial situation. In this case, you are
encouraged to contact the nancial aid oce and
meet with a Scholarships & Financial Aid advisor.
Additional information is located at nancialaid.tamu.
edu by searching “extenuating circumstances”.
Some common reasons for a review my include:
• Parent or student loss of income due to
unemployment
• Parent or student loss of untaxed income or
benets such as child support or social security
• Parent or student marital status has changed due
to divorce or separation
• Death of parent or spouse of a student
• Parent or student with excessive medical/dental
expenses
• Costs for an education abroad experience
• Parent attending college at least half-time
If you are a dependent student and believe there
are extenuating circumstances that may qualify
you to be considered as an independent student,
contact our oce to schedule an appointment with
an advisor. Your circumstances will be treated with
professionalism and condentiality. Requesting a
review does not guarantee an adjustment can or will
be made.
Satisfactory Academic Progress
Students must make Satisfactory Academic Progress
(SAP) to remain eligible for most forms of nancial
aid. Additional progress requirements may vary for
each aid program. There are three components to
SAP evaluation. Failure to meet these may result in a
loss of aid eligibility.
Grade Point Ratio (GPR)
The minimum GPR is 2.0 for undergraduates.
Completion Rate
You must complete at least 75% of all credit hours
attempted. This percentage includes all credit hours
attempted, regardless of whether or not nancial aid
was received or the course was taken at Texas A&M.
Courses with grades of W, F, I, U, Q, X, NG, and grade
exclusions are not considered to be completed.
Maximum Hours
You are expected to complete degree requirements
within a reasonable time frame, currently dened
as attempting no more than 134% of the credit
hours required for your degree program. This is the
maximum number of credit hours a student may
have and receive nancial aid. All transfer coursework
accepted by the University is included in this total
even if it does not apply to your academic major.
SAP notification and appeal policy
SAP is reviewed at the end of each semester for
undergraduate programs. If you fail to meet SAP
minimums you will be given a warning semester.
During that semester you will be eligible for nancial
aid. After the semester of warning, if you are not
meeting SAP minimums, you will no longer be eligible
to receive nancial aid. You will be informed of the
reason(s) for the loss of eligibility and the conditions
that must be met before your nancial aid eligibility
may be reinstated.
You may appeal loss of eligibility if you have
experienced extenuating circumstances that
impacted your academic performance. However,
the submission of an appeal is only a request and
does not guarantee it will be granted or aid will
be reinstated. For more information on SAP visit
nancialaid.tamu.edu.
Enrollment Status (Courses that Count)
All nancial aid oers are based on full-time
enrollment. However, most nancial aid programs we
oer require students to be registered at least half-
time. Students may receive federal nancial aid only
for eligible courses that count towards their program
of study. State and institutional aid are not subject
to the same restrictions. Students enrolled less than
full-time in courses that count towards their program
of study should contact our oce to determine the
impact on scholarship and nancial aid eligibility as
aid and cost of attendance may be prorated based on
the number of hours of enrollment.
For example: A Federal Pell Grant recipient is enrolled
in 12 hours, and 9 hours of the 12 hours are required
for their program of study. The recipient will receive
their Federal Pell Grant based on 9 hours. Their
Federal Pell Grant payment and cost of attendance
will be reduced based on courses that count/apply to
their degree program.
POLICIES
Federal Direct Loans for undergraduates require 6
hours of enrollment. If a student is enrolled in 12
hours and only 3 hours of the 12 hours are required
for their program of study, they cannot receive a
Federal Direct Loan. Please see the chart in the back
of this booklet to determine enrollment minimums
for nancial aid programs.
Changes in Enrolled Hours
Students enrolled less than full-time will have
adjustments made to their cost of attendance. This
may result in awards being reduced or cancelled.
Students who are considering dropping a class should
contact our oce before doing so to determine the
eect on scholarship and nancial aid eligibility.
A reduction in enrolled hours may result in the
following:
• Proration or loss of grant funds you have been
oered/paid
• Proration of your cost of attendance
• Unsatisfactory Academic Progress and loss of
future nancial aid eligibility
Beginning Attendance
Federal nancial aid regulations require conrmation
that you began attendance in at least one course in
order to establish eligibility for federal student loans.
Further, you must begin attendance in all courses if
receiving Federal Pell Grant, Federal TEACH Grant,
and/or Iraq-Afghanistan Service Grant (IASG). Based
on conrmation from faculty, adjustments to nancial
aid oer(s) may be necessary and may result in you
owing money.
Withdrawing from the University
Students who withdraw from all classes, ocially or
unocially, are eligible to keep only the nancial aid
they have earned up to the time of withdrawal. Funds
that were disbursed in excess of the earned amount
must be returned to the appropriate nancial aid
program. This situation could result in you (or your
parent) owing money to the University. To determine
the amount of federal aid you have earned up to the
time of withdrawal, Scholarships & Financial Aid will
divide the number of calendar days you attended
classes by the total number of calendar days in the
semester (minus any scheduled breaks of 5 days or
more). This percentage is then multiplied by the total
federal funds that were disbursed (either to your
billing account or refunded) for the semester. This
calculation determines the amount of federal aid
earned.
For example: If you attended 25% of the semester,
you will have earned approximately 25% of the aid
paid. The unearned amount (total aid disbursed
minus the earned amount) will be returned to the
appropriate aid program and you will be billed for
the amount returned. The calculation for state and
institutional aid earned is dierent. For detailed
information on how Scholarships & Financial Aid
returns aid for withdrawn students, visit nancialaid.
tamu.edu.
Renewal of the FAFSA/TASFA
You must re-apply for nancial aid every year by
renewing your FAFSA at studentaid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa.
Most of the renewal FAFSA will already be lled in
with information that you provided on the previous
year’s application. The application for the 2022-2023
academic year will be available October 1, 2021.
Students completing the TASFA also need to re-apply
annually. This application is typically available in early
October at howdy.tamu.edu.
Summer Aid
Limited nancial aid is available for the summer.
The current year’s FAFSA/TASFA must be completed
in order to be considered for nancial aid. You
will not be oered aid until you are registered for
summer courses at Texas A&M. Please complete the
“Report Outside Scholarships & Resources Form” in
the Financial Aid Portal if you are expecting outside
scholarship payments for the summer term.
Money Education Center
The Money Education (ME) Center educates students
about money so you can make smarter nancial
decisions in college and be nancially successful
after graduation. The ME Center provides free
presentations, one-on-one advising, and online
resources on paying for college, student loans,
eating on a budget, credit cards, credit scores, car
buying, home buying, investing, and more. For more
information, visit money.tamu.edu.
Student Employment Office
The Student Employment Oce oers free
workshops for student employees. Workshop topics
include communication skills, improving eectiveness
and professionalism in the workplace, and more. For
more information or to register, visit jobsforaggies.
tamu.edu.
Veteran Services Office
The Veteran Services Oce assists veterans and
their dependents with processing federal and state
education benets.
Assistance offered:
• How to use your GI Bill®
• How to certify your education benets
• Information about Hazlewood Exemption for
Texas residents that have exhausted GI Bill®
benets or receive less than tuition for GI Bill®
• How to apply for scholarships & nancial aid
If you are eligible to receive VA benets, please
contact our oce for assistance in applying for these
benets. For more information, visit veterans.tamu.
edu.
Scholarships
979.845.3982
scholarships.tamu.edu
Money Education Center
979.845.SAVE (7283)
Get in Line for advising at
money.tamu.edu
Student Employment
979.845.0686
jobsforaggies.tamu.edu
Veteran Services Oce
979.845.8075
Get in Line for advising at
veterans.tamu.edu
Higher Education Center
at McAllen
956.271.1300
Student Business Services
(payment & bill questions)
979.847.FEES (3337)
sbs.tamu.edu
Scholarships & Financial Aid*
Texas A&M University
P.O. Box 30016
College Station, TX 77842
979.845.3236 (Phone)
979.847.9061 (Fax)
Get in Line for advising at nancialaid.tamu.edu
*Send all documents for Health Science Center, School of
Law, Higher Education Center at McAllen to main address.
Galveston students see address below.
For frequently asked questions, ask our chatbot
Miss Rev at nancialaid.tamu.edu.
Texas A&M University Galveston Campus
Processing Address
P. O. Box 40005
College Station, TX 77842
409.740.4500
tamug.edu/naid
Student Business Services
(payment and billing questions)
409.740.4434
Veteran Benets Administrator
409.740.4500
Student Employment
409.740.4532
SERVICES
Types of Aid
Criteria
FAFSA Required
TASFA Required
(If SB 1528)
1
Minimum Enrollment
Prorated less than
full-time
Repayment Required
Interest Rate
Student (S) or Parent
(P) Borrower
Satisfactory
Academic Progress
Standards
Loan
Origination Fee
All Eligible Students
Will Receive Award
Need Based
Regents’ Scholarship
2
P P
Full
P
Federal Pell Grant
P P P P
Federal Supplemental
Educational
Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
3
P
½
P
TEXAS Grant
4
P P
¾
P
2.5 GPA
4
Texas Public Education Grant
(TPEG)
P P
½
P P
Texas Aggie Grant/Scholarship
2
P P
½
P P
Federal/Texas College
Work Study
P P
5
½
P
Federal Direct Loan
(subsidized)
P
½
P
2.75%
7
S
P
1.057%
8
Non-Need Based
TEACH Grant
3,6
P P
varies varies S
P P
Federal Direct Loan
(unsubsidized)
P
½
P
2.75%
7
Undergrad
S
P
1.057%
8
Federal Direct PLUS Loan
P
½
P
5.3%
7
P
P
4.228%
8
1
SB 1528 = Students who qualify to pay in-state tuition, not
eligible to complete a FAFSA.
2
College Station, McAllen, and College Station/Galveston
Engineering students only
3
Availability subject to federal funding.
4
Availability subject to state funding, must complete 24 credit
hours per year.
5
Students who are eligible to work in the US may be considered
for Texas College Work Study.
Types of Aid
Criteria
FAFSA Required
TASFA Required
(If SB 1528)
1
Minimum Enrollment
Prorated less than
full-time
Repayment Required
Interest Rate
Student (S) or Parent
(P) Borrower
Satisfactory
Academic Progress
Standards
Loan
Origination Fee
All Eligible Students
Will Receive Award
Need Based
Regents’ Scholarship
2
P P
Full
P
Federal Pell Grant
P P P P
Federal Supplemental
Educational
Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
3
P
½
P
TEXAS Grant
4
P P
¾
P
2.5 GPA
4
Texas Public Education Grant
(TPEG)
P P
½
P P
Texas Aggie Grant/Scholarship
2
P P
½
P P
Federal/Texas College
Work Study
P P
5
½
P
Federal Direct Loan
(subsidized)
P
½
P
2.75%
7
S
P
1.057%
8
Non-Need Based
TEACH Grant
3,6
P P
varies varies S
P P
Federal Direct Loan
(unsubsidized)
P
½
P
2.75%
7
Undergrad
S
P
1.057%
8
Federal Direct PLUS Loan
P
½
P
5.3%
7
P
P
4.228%
8
6
Student must agree to serve as a full-time teacher in a high-
need subject area, in schools serving low-income students for
at least four academic years within eight years of completing
the program for which the student received the grant. If the
student does not satisfy the service obligation, the amount(s)
of the TEACH Grant(s) received are treated as a Federal Direct
Unsubsidized Loan and must be repaid with interest.
7
Interest rate subject to change July 1, 2021.
8
Origination fees subject to change October 1, 2021.
TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY
Scholarships &
Financial Aid
