What San Antonio Families Need to Know About FAFSA Before Senior Year

Of all the parts of the college admissions process that San Antonio families underestimate, FAFSA is at the top of the list. Most families think about it as something you do after your student gets accepted. In reality, how early you file — and how accurately — can determine how much money your student receives.

Here is what every San Antonio family needs to understand about FAFSA before senior year begins.

What FAFSA is and why it matters

FAFSA stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid. It is the form that determines your student’s eligibility for federal grants, work-study programs, and federal loans. More importantly, most Texas colleges and universities also use FAFSA data to award their own institutional grants and scholarships — money that does not have to be repaid.

Filing FAFSA is not just for families who need financial aid. Even families who expect to pay full tuition should file, because many merit-based awards at Texas schools also require a FAFSA on file. Skipping it can mean leaving money on the table without ever knowing it was there.

The most important thing most families get wrong

FAFSA is not first-come, first-served at the federal level — but it absolutely is at the school level. Most Texas colleges have a priority deadline for institutional aid, typically between December 1 and February 1. If your student’s FAFSA is not on file by that date, they may receive significantly less grant money — or none at all — even if they were technically eligible.

Many families I have worked with filed FAFSA in March or April, long after priority deadlines had passed. They received federal aid but missed out on thousands of dollars in institutional grants simply because of timing. The application itself takes about 45 minutes. The cost of filing late can be measured in thousands of dollars per year.

Texas-specific aid you should know about

Texas has several state aid programs that San Antonio families may qualify for. The most significant is the Texas Educational Opportunity Grant (TEOG) and the Texas Grant, which provide need-based funding specifically for Texas students attending Texas colleges. These programs have limited funds and are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis to eligible students who file FAFSA early.

To maximize the chance of receiving state aid, FAFSA should be filed as close to October 1 as possible.

What you need to file

• Your student’s Social Security number
• Parent Social Security numbers (for dependent students)
• FSA ID for both student and at least one parent — create this at studentaid.gov before October 1
• Federal tax return information from the prior year (FAFSA uses prior-prior year income)
• Records of savings, investments, and assets

What the CSS Profile is and who needs it

Some private colleges and universities — including several schools San Antonio students commonly apply to — require an additional form called the CSS Profile in addition to FAFSA. The CSS Profile collects more detailed financial information and is used to award institutional aid at those schools.

If any school on your student’s list requires the CSS Profile, it typically needs to be filed around the same time as FAFSA — often before November 1 for Early Action and Early Decision applicants. Check each school’s financial aid requirements early in the process.

Common mistakes San Antonio families make

• Waiting until spring to file FAFSA, missing priority deadlines at Texas schools
• Not creating FSA IDs in advance, causing delays on October 1
• Skipping FAFSA because they assume their income is too high to qualify
• Not listing all the colleges their student is applying to on the FAFSA
• Forgetting to update FAFSA after the student commits to a school
• Overlooking the CSS Profile requirement at private schools

The bottom line for San Antonio families

File FAFSA as close to October 1 of your student’s senior year as possible. Create FSA IDs for both student and parent before that date. Check whether any schools on your student’s list require the CSS Profile. And do not assume your family makes too much to benefit — the only way to know is to file.

Financial aid is one of the most complex and high-stakes parts of the college process. Having someone walk through it with you — step by step, specific to your situation — is one of the most valuable things a college advisor can provide.

← Back to Resources