Application and Eligibility

When financial aid is awarded, HSC is required to take into consideration both your Cost of Attendance and Student Aid Index (SAI). The SAI is the amount of assistance you and your family are expected by the federal government to contribute towards your education during an academic year.

*The 24-25 FAFSA will open by December 31st, 2023. It will cover the Summer 2024, Fall 2024, and Spring 2025 terms. For more information, please visit: https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa 

Summer 2023, Fall 2023, Spring 2024 – (2023-2024 academic year)

Students that are U.S. citizens or U.S. permanent residents can apply for federal aid using the FAFSA application. International students who are also Texas residents may be eligible for grant funding through the TASFA application.  Review the financial aid eligibility requirements for both below.

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible to receive need-based and non-need-based Federal assistance, a student must:

1. Be a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or U.S. permanent resident or reside in the United States for other than a temporary purpose (supportive documentation may be required to verify residency or citizenship status).
2. Be accepted by HSC and enrolled in required courses in a degree seeking program.
   1. Certificate Programs are not eligible for federal aid.
3. Maintain Financial Aid’s Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) in their program of study.
4. Not be in default of any loan or owe a repayment on a Federal Pell Grant, FSEOG, or State Grant.
5. Demonstrate financial need.

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

HSC begins their academic year in the summer (summer/fall/spring). If you plan to attend summer classes and receive federal financial assistance (Loans and/or Federal Work Study), we will need the new year’s FAFSA before that time (ex: attending summer 2023 courses–we need the 2023-2024 FAFSA before summer course begin).

New Students and New Aid Applicants

1. Complete the 2023-2024 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for Summer 2023/Fall 2023/Spring 2024. Your FSA ID must be used to file the application electronically (your electronic signature).  The School Code for HSC is 009768.  To complete the FAFSA go to the StudentAid.gov site.*Be advised, if you use the Data Retrieval Tool (DRT) to transfer your tax information to your FAFSA, you will receive a letter from the IRS informing you that your tax information was accessed using the IRS DRT. We do NOT need parents information on the FAFSA application.
2. If you are interested in applying for a Federal Direct Stafford Loan complete the following at www.studentaid.gov site:
   • Sign a Direct Stafford Loan Master Promissory Note (MPN).  New students and new aid applicants to UNTHSC must complete this prior to funds being requested from the Department of Education.
   • Complete Direct Stafford Loan Entrance Counseling. New students to HSC and new aid applicants at HSC must complete this prior to funds being requested from the Department of Education.
3. If you are interested in applying for a Federal Direct Grad PLUS Loan you may complete the following:
   • Direct Grad PLUS Master Promissory Note (MPN). Borrowers without a valid Grad PLUS MPN on file with the Direct Loan Servicing Center must complete a new MPN.  This MPN is a multi-year MPN, and may be used for subsequent award years.  Although a new MPN is not required every year, borrowers at HSC are required to submit the PLUS Loan Application on the studentaid.gov site every year in order to apply for the Grad PLUS funds.  New students/applicants must complete this.
   • Grad PLUS Entrance Counseling: Only students without a valid Grad PLUS Entrance Counseling on file with the Direct Loan Servicing Center must complete the Grad PLUS Entrance Counseling. New students/applicants must complete this.
   • PLUS Loan applications are available on the studentaid.gov website, for more information visit our Direct Loans page.

Texas Application for State Financial Aid (TASFA)

TASFA is for International Students who are also Texas residents.  This application allows students to apply for state/institutional grant aid.  State grant funds are very limited, if any, and are awarded based on need and date of application. TASFA students can also apply for Private/Alternative Loans on their own. The 2023-2024 TASFA can be completed via the link below for Summer 2023/Fall 2023/Spring 2024.  You submit the application to the HSC Financial Aid Office each year.

TASFA Application

International Students

Although International students do not qualify for Federal Financial Aid, there are still other resources and opportunities available.  International students who are also Texas residents may be eligible for state aid by completing the Texas Application for Student Financial Aid (TASFA). External scholarships and private loans may also be available although, it is the student’s responsibility to find and apply for those options.

We strongly encourage International students to reach out to the International Services Office for additional resources.

Study Abroad

Currently, there are no Study Abroad programs approved for financial aid assistance