If you’re thinking about enrolling in college but are wondering about how you’ll pay for it, we’re here to help. Applying for financial aid is a crucial step in making your college education a reality, and we’re here to guide you through the process. Follow the steps below to apply for financial aid at ACC:
Step one: Become a Riverbat! (That’s the ACC mascot)
The Financial Aid Office will process your financial aid application only if you are an official ACC student. If this will be your first semester at ACC, apply to become an ACC student here.
Step two: Complete the FAFSA (or TASFA)
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is a form that helps the government determine your eligibility for federal financial aid for college or career school. The FAFSA is used to apply for grants, loans, and work-study programs, which can help you pay for your education.
To complete the FAFSA, you’ll need to provide information about your family’s financial situation and your own financial resources, such as your income and assets. You will also need ACC’s federal school code 012015 to ensure the FAFSA gets to ACC. The FAFSA is available online at StudentAid.gov/FAFSA.
If you have questions or need help completing the FAFSA, don’t hesitate to contact our financial aid office for assistance
This video series will guide you through some of the questions you’ll encounter when completing the FAFSA.
Step three: Track your status
It takes up to five business days for your FAFSA to be received by our college, and a few weeks to process your application after all necessary documents have been submitted.Track the status of your financial aid application by regularly checking your ACC email and Self-Service.
We will contact you via your ACC email if we require additional documents. To help you submit your documents smoothly and efficiently, we’ve provided guidance and resources on our financial aid forms page.
Please respond promptly to any financial aid notices you receive, as failure to do so may delay the processing of your application. If you have any questions about your financial aid status or need assistance with the tracking process, don’t hesitate to contact our financial aid office.
Applying for Financial Aid Frequently Asked Questions
When will the FAFSA become available for next academic year?
The FAFSA becomes available on October 1st of each year for the following academic year. For example, if you are planning to attend college during the 2024-2025 academic year, the FAFSA will become available on October 1, 2023. (The FAFSA for the 2023-2024 academic year became available October 1, 2022.)
It’s a good idea to complete the FAFSA as soon as possible, as some financial aid is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. You’ll need to complete the FAFSA each year that you’re in school in order to continue receiving financial aid.
Do I have to complete the FAFSA each academic year?
Yes, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) must be completed each academic year in order to be considered for federal financial aid for college.
If you have applied for the FAFSA in the past, most of the information needed is probably already in the system. You can use the FAFSA website to import your previous year’s information, which can speed up the process.
Complete your FAFSA here: StudentAid.gov/FAFSA
What if my offered financial aid does not cover all of my billed tuition and fees?
If the financial aid you accepted doesn’t cover all of your tuition and fees, you will have to pay the remaining amount. You can do this on Self-Service or by setting up a payment plan before the payment deadline.
If you need help, call the Financial Aid Office at 512-223-4636. We can help you set up a payment plan where you don’t have to pay any money at first. Instead, the financial aid you accepted will be used as your first payment.
How do I submit additional documents requested by the Financial Aid Office?
We check all financial aid applications to make sure all the information is correct. Sometimes we need extra documents from you. If we do, we will let you know through ACCmail and through the Self-Service Financial Aid page. It’s important to only give us the documents we ask for. If you have any questions, please call us at 512-223-4636 (option 5).
It’s easy to send us your financial aid documents online. Go to the Self-Service Financial Aid page to see what documents we need. The Self-Service page will direct you to ACC’s StudentForms page to send us the requested documents. If you haven’t used StudentForms before, you will need to make an account. The information you use to make the account must be the same as what you put on your FAFSA. For more information about financial aid forms, visit austincc.edu/faforms.
How is my financial aid offer determined?
To figure out how much financial aid you can get, we use something called “need analysis.” The main way we do this is by looking at the information you give us on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA tells us about your family’s financial situation. We use this information to figure out how much money you and your family can afford to pay for college. This number is called your “expected family contribution” or EFC.
The financial aid package is usually a mix of different types of aid like scholarships, grants, work-study and loans. The types of aid and how much you get might be different for each person, depending on their financial needs and how much money ACC has available. Scholarships and grants are types of money that you don’t have to pay back. Loans are money you borrow that you will have to pay back with interest. Work-study is when you work on campus to make money to help pay for college.
What happens if my financial situation changes?
If something changes in your family’s financial situation after you have already sent in your FAFSA, please tell ACC’s Financial Aid Office right away. We will check if this change affects your financial aid and if we need to change the amount of aid we are able to give you. For example, if your family experiences a significant loss of income, you may be able to get more financial aid. But if your family starts making more money, we might have to give you less aid.
It’s important to be honest and to provide documentation of your new financial situation. We might ask for tax returns, pay stubs, or other financial papers.
It’s always a good idea to keep an open line of communication with the Financial Aid Office and to report any changes in your financial situation as soon as possible to ensure your financial aid package is right for your current situation.