Figuring out how to pay for college can be intimidating. The good news is that there is help available for students just like you.
1. PREPARATION
You will want to determine the annual cost to attend the college or career school of your choice. At San Jacinto College, tuition is determined by residency and the total number of credit hours taken. There is also a one-time service fee per semester. Visit www.sanjac.edu/apply-register/paying-college/tuition-fees for more information.
Tuition and fees $750
12 credit hours (in-district)
2. FAFSA
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the only way to apply for federal student aid. The schools you list on your application will use FAFSA information to evaluate your financial need and determine how much federal aid you are eligible to receive. Many colleges and universities use information from your FAFSA to provide their own financial aid.
Each October, the FAFSA is available for the upcoming school year. It is best to fill it out as early as you can because some aid is first come, first served. To complete the FAFSA, you’ll need to provide personal and tax information. We strongly recommend that you use the Data Retrieval Tool (DRT) to automatically load the tax information directly from the IRS database. The FAFSA now uses information from an earlier tax year (prior-prior year). For example, for school year 2017-2018, information from tax year 2015 will be required*.
Once you have completed and submitted the FAFSA online, you will receive your Student Aid Report (SAR). Your SAR summarizes the information in your FAFSA. Review it and make corrections if needed.
Your FAFSA helps your school determine the types of federal student aid you are eligible to receive. If you are a Texas resident who does not qualify for FAFSA, you may be eligible to complete the TASFA for Texas state aid. Please contact the financial aid office for more information.
PRIOR-PRIOR EXAMPLE*
SCHOOL YEAR TAX YEAR
2017-2018 2015
2018-2019 2016
2019-2020 2017
3. AWARD
Your award letter explains the combination of federal grants, loans and work-study a college is offering you. The offer might also contain state and institutional aid. If you receive award letters from multiple colleges or trade schools, you should compare them and decide which school works best for you.
4. DEADLINES
Every year, millions of new students attend college or trade school for the first time. Your college or trade school has a financial aid office to help guide you along the way. The priority deadlines for financial aid at San Jacinto College are the last business day of the month as follows:
Fall term – June
Spring term – October
Summer term – April
5. SCHOLARSHIPS
Once your admission application is processed, visit sjcd.academicworks.com to begin applying for scholarships. The general scholarship deadlines are June 30 for Fall term and October 30 for Spring term. New scholarship opportunities become available from time to time, so check the AcademicWorks website often.
281-998-6150 | sanjac.edu/financial-aid
The San Jacinto College District is committed to equal opportunity for all students, employees and applicants without regard to race, creed, color, national origin, citizenship status, age, disability, pregnancy, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, genetic information, marital status or veteran status in accordance with applicable federal and state laws. The following College official has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the College’s non-discrimination policies: Vice President of Human Resources, 4620 Fairmont Pkwy., Pasadena, TX 77504; 281-991-2659; [email protected].
