Aid for Non-Citizen Texas Residents

Texas Application for State Financial Aid (TASFA)

Texas provides a financial aid application for students who are not United States citizens, but who are Texas residents. Though you may not be eligible to apply for federal financial aid, you may still receive aid from the State of Texas by completing the Texas Application for State Financial Aid (TASFA) at the “College for All Texans” website. The website provides the Texas Application for State Financial Aid (TASFA) in both English and Spanish. This application is the Texas Application for State Financial Aid (TASFA). The application for 2020-2021 opens on October 1. Submit the application early! Funding is limited, so you could miss out on funds if you wait to submit your application.

You must be classified as a Texas resident to qualify for state and/or institutional student financial aid through the TASFA. DBU’s Office of Financial Aid reviews and make the determination if students meet the state’s requirements for Texas Residency.

To see if you might receive state funds to assist you in your educational pursuits, review the questions below. Complete the TASFA (Texas Application for State Financial Aid) for a review by the Office of Financial Aid to determine your eligibility for state and/or institutional financial aid.

To fill out a TASFA application, you must meet one of the following criteria:

I graduated or will graduate from a Texas high school or received my GED certificate in Texas.
I resided in Texas for 36 months leading up to graduation from high school or receiving my GED certificate.
I have resided or will have resided in Texas for the 12 months prior to the census date of the semester in which I will enroll in Dallas Baptist University.
I have filed or will apply to become a permanent resident at the earliest opportunity that I am eligible to do so.

When completing the application be careful NOT to leave questions blank on the TASFA form. ALL questions must have an answer. If you cannot answer a question or submit a document, please check with our office on what to do.

After completing the TASFA, and it is reviewed, you may be required to provide additional documents. You will find the document requests in the Financial Aid portion of your student portal. We cannot process documents without all required information and signatures.

Some documentation requested may be:

Signed 2018 Parent Tax Return (Dependent students only)
2018 Parent W-2 Forms (Dependent students only)
Signed 2018 Student (and spouse, if married) Tax Return
2018 Student (and spouse, if married) W-2 Forms
Selective Service Registration Acknowledgement Card (male students only).
- If you are unsure if you must register for Selective Service, you can read about Selective Service registration requirements on the Selective Service website.

Texas Application for State Financial Aid (TASFA) at the “College for All Texans” website >>

FAQ’s about the TASFA

Am I a Texas resident?

Residency is determined by the Office of Financial Aid. If you qualify for Resident status based on the criteria, you are eligible to apply for State aid. If you believe your residency should be reclassified, please email finaid@dbu.edu.

Can I fill out both the TASFA and FAFSA?

No. You are eligible for either the FAFSA, TASFA, or ISFAA. You may only fill out one application.

What if I did not work during the tax year?

If you did not work, you will not need to submit a W-2 or a Tax Return Transcript. However, an advisor may ask you for further documentation to verify your information during processing. Please make sure you have answered all questions about student earnings on the TASFA.

What if my parent(s) do/does not have a W-2 because they run their own business?

If your parent is self-employed and does not have any wages on Line 7 of the Tax Return Transcript, then our office will waive the W-2 requirement. This also applies to any students who may have earned money through self-employment.

What if my parent is not authorized to work in the U.S.?

Even if your parent may not work in the U.S, he or she must file taxes on income earned in the U.S. If your parent earned more than $400 in cash, he or she may be considered an independent contractor and must file taxes. Please see IRS Publication 17 for more details on tax filing rules.

What if my parent worked in another country?

If your parent worked in another country, then we request that country’s equivalent of tax returns and W-2s. Foreign tax documents will need to be translated and converted into U.S. Dollars.