The two main ways TCU grants money to students are through academic scholarships and need-based financial aid. I wanted to take the time to shed some light on how to apply for need-based aid.
How do I apply for financial aid?
In order to apply for need-based aid at TCU, we ask that you submit two different documents to our Office of Financial Aid: the FAFSA and the CSS Profile. Both documents are typically accessible starting on October 1 of your senior year and our Priority Deadline is February 1.
The FAFSA is what nearly every college and university in the country uses to ascertain need and is what the government uses when allocating Pell Grants and other federal aid. The CSS Profile, on the other hand, comes from The College Board (the same company that administers the SAT and AP tests) and is used to distribute institutional aid.
At TCU, we like the CSS Profile because it helps to paint a family’s ability to pay for college. As an example, the FAFSA doesn’t ask if you have any siblings who will be attending college at the same time as you. We know that putting multiple children through school can really impact a family’s ability to pay for college, so that’s great information for us to know! Once we have both of these documents, we’ll be able to make an offer to you and your family.
What do I do if I don’t have a social security number?
The FAFSA requires a social security number. Sometimes, this can cause issues for our students, but no worries: we have a couple of different solutions in place.
For students without a social security number, we will accept the TASFA in lieu of the FAFSA. The TASFA is a similar document, but it comes from the state of Texas instead of the federal government. It does not require a social security number but will still provide us with a look at your overall financial need.
Students can also submit a FAFSA with the social security number listed as all zeroes. Doing so will still allow us to count your FAFSA as complete so we can make an offer to you and your family.
Who can I reach out to if I have any more questions?
Our Office of Admission is always happy to help answer any questions you have about any part of TCU’s application and admission process. To contact our office, search for your own admission counselor here or simply email frogmail@tcu.edu.
Though we’re available to point you in the right direction, need-based aid is run through our Office of Scholarships and Student Financial Aid. You can also email their office directly at finaid@tcu.edu. We’re both available to assist you at any point during the process, so please reach out!