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Virtual Advisor

General Financial Aid Information

The Office of Financial Aid at Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) is open to assist students who have difficulty meeting the cost of attending the University. Although the primary responsibility for financing an education rests with the student and the student's immediate family, it is recognized that many students will require additional assistance in order to finance their educational goals. Therefore, TAMIU offers financial assistance based on documented financial need to students who would otherwise not be able to attend the University.

The mission of the Office of Financial Aid is to serve students and parents. Our office provides assistance and information on financial aid programs offered in order to pursue their educational goals.

Texas A&M International University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action, coeducational institution which does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, sex, disability, national or ethnic origin.

Some General Information

Did you know?

  • To get information on loan servicers, repayment plans, consolidation, and interest rates you can log onto your studentaid.gov account.

Did you know?

  • You have a grace period of 6 months after you graduate, leave school, or drop below half-time before you are required to begin loan payments.

Did you know?

  • If you borrowed a direct student loan you must complete your exit counseling before graduation.

Did you know?

  • If you are enrolled at least half-time but do not automatically receive an in-school deferment, you should contact the TAMIU Registrar's office to help with process.

Did you know?

  • You must be enrolled at least half-time to be eligible for Direct Federal Loan Program funds
    • 6 credit hours-undergraduate
    • 3 credit hours-graduate

Did you know?

  • Direct Subsidized loans do not accumulate interest while you are enrolled at least half-time in school.

Did you know?

  • Direct Unsubsidized loans accumulate interest regardless of your enrollment status.

Did you know?

  • You can start making payments towards your loan balance while enrolled in school.
    • For more information log on to your studentaid.giv account to contact your loan service provider about repayments.

Did you know?

  • A defaulted loan will affect your credit history.

Did you know?

  • After 9 months of no payment or communication with your loan servicer your loan will be placed in default.

Additional information concerning financial aid can be found at the Federal Student Aid website, studentaid.ed.gov, or at the College of All Texans website, www.collegeforalltexans.com. Undocumented students can use the college guide for undocumented students to find information on: the DREAM Act and DACA; How to find and apply for colleges; Financial aid for undocumented students.

Starting in 2016, the application period will begin on October 1 of each year for the following academic year. An academic year for financial aid awarding purposes consists of the fall, spring and consecutive summer terms; for example: Fall 2023, Spring 2024 and Summer 2024. As soon as possible after October 1st, an applicant should submit their financial aid application. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) should be completed and submitted electronically at https://studentaid.gov. The Texas Application for State Financial Aid (TASFA), created by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, is posted to our website as soon as it is available. The income information that will be used for submitting the new application will be from the prior income tax year; making it possible for the student and parents or student’s spouse to use the Direct Data Exchange within the FAFSA. By using this tool the income information provided in the application will be accurate with little or no corrections needed in the future. For example, when submitting the FAFSA for the 2023-2024 academic year the student and parents or student’s spouse will be using the 2021 income tax information. All other required forms should be completed and forwarded directly to the TAMIU Financial Aid Office before the deadline.

Approximately 7-10 days from the filing date of the FAFSA, the applicant will receive a FAFSA Submission Summary from the federal FAFSA Processing System (FPS). If you provided an email address on your FAFSA application, you will receive an electronic FAFSA Submission Summary from the federal FPS. The applicant should review their FAFSA Submission Summary for any additional steps required by the federal FPS.

Applications for assistance cannot be fully considered until all of the required documents are received by the Financial Aid Office and the applicant's admission status as a regular degree-seeking student is approved by the Admissions Office.

Students must submit a financial aid application every year. The application process and all documentation must be completed before the last class day of the term to be considered for aid for that period of enrollment. Financial Aid cannot be received for periods of non-enrollment.

Once documented need is established, the Office of Financial Aid will consider programs for which the applicant is eligible and has expressed an interest. It is impractical for the aid applicant to expect the total calculated need to be met with gift-aid (grants and scholarships). In order to meet as much of the documented need as possible, the applicant must apply for a self-help program (loans or employment). Every effort will be made to meet the applicant's documented need through a combination of aid programs. The amount awarded will be based on the financial need of the applicant, the limitations imposed by the various financial aid programs, and the availability of funding. The total award may be less than the documented need because of fund limitations, an unusually large student budget, the applicant's aid request limitation, and/or prescribed program allowances. Aid applications will be reviewed and awards made as long as funds are available on a "first-come, first-served" basis. Once a financial aid package has been awarded, an award notification will be sent to the applicant indicating the types and amounts of aid offered. You must review your award notification, accept or decline all the financial assistance offered to you online via Uconnect. Failure to do so may result in all aid being canceled. No aid will be disbursed until all paperwork and requirements are met with the Office of Financial Aid.

If, after the aid package has been awarded, it is determined that an additional resource is available to the student to help meet the cost of attendance, the Financial Aid Office will be required to recalculate the applicant's eligibility to include the additional resource. If the additional resource causes an over award situation, the student's aid package will be adjusted to compensate for the over award. Adjustments may include canceling or decreasing previously awarded aid. A revised award notification will be sent to the applicant indicating any revisions made to the aid package.

Texas A&M International University and the Office of Financial Aid are committed to conducting business in an ethical manner and with the highest level of integrity. To this end, our office adheres to the Texas A&M University System Ethics Policy 07.01 and Texas Higher Education Fair Lending Practices 07.02 as indicated in our Code of Conduct for Financial Aid Professionals at Texas A&M International University. In addition, as a member of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, we comply with their Statement of Ethical Principles and Code of Conduct for Institutional Financial Aid Professionals.

Financial need is the difference between your cost of attendance at TAMIU (this includes tuition & fees, books, course materials, supplies, equipment, food and hosing, transportation, and miscellaneous personal expenses) and the amount the family is able to contribute (SAI) toward those educational costs. Your Student Aid Index is calculated by the Department of Education using your financial aid application. Some factors taken into consideration when calculating your SAI are parental income and assets and student' income and assets.

Cost of Attendance - Student Aid Index - Other Financial Assistance = Need

COA-SAI-OFA=Need

Student Aid Index (SAI) is the amount a student and/or parent(s) can reasonably be expected to contribute towards educational expenses. The actual amount of the SAI is dependent upon family and student income, assets, family size, taxes paid and age of the older parent. A student's SAI is determined by the information provided to the U. S. Department of Education thru the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or by the information on the Texas Application for State Financial Aid (TASFA). All applicants are required to inform the Financial Aid Office of any additional assistance to be received from outside sources during the application period.

Some financial aid is need-based, meaning you must demonstrate need in order to qualify for this type of aid (such as Pell Grant). Other aid, such as scholarships are merit-based (not need-based), meaning that you do not have to demonstrate need in order to be eligible. Total amount of aid a student receives, whether it is need-based or non-need based, cannot exceed a student's cost of attendance

To be eligible for federal and state student aid, an applicant must:

  1. Be a U. S. citizen or reside in the U.S. for other than a temporary purpose.
  2. Demonstrate a documented need for need-based financial assistance.
  3. Be in good academic standing and maintain a satisfactory level of academic progress toward a degree.
  4. Enroll for the course load required by the requested aid program.
  5. Be meeting the satisfactory academic progress policy under the Office of Financial aid; and
  6. Not be in default on any educational loan, or owe a refund or repayment on any educational grant.

How to review and accept Financial Aid step-by-step video.

Financial aid will be authorized (credited) into student account after the census date of each semester.

If a student received financial aid in excess of their tuition and fees and other on-campus expenses (such as bookstore purchases, campus housing and meal plan) for a given semester, a disbursement (sometimes referred to as a refund) will be issued by the Bursar’s Office at TAMIU. Disbursements are released on Friday afternoons. Students will receive their disbursement by direct deposit to the account of their choice.

For courses that begin after the regular semester date, disbursements will not be issued until approximately a week after the census date for that course(s).

Disbursements will not be issued on pending financial aid (aid that has not been confirmed). If you have questions regarding pending financial aid please contact the Office of Financial Aid. Under no circumstances will financial aid be released before the designated disbursement date.

Generally a student ceases to be eligible for aid once he/she has finished the term and is no longer enrolled. An otherwise eligible student becomes ineligible to receive FSA funds on the date that the student:

  • for a loan made under the Direct Loan program, is no longer enrolled at least half time
  • for purposes of the Pell Grant and FSEOG Grant, is no longer enrolled at the school for the award year

However, if certain conditions are met, a student must be considered for a disbursement after the date they became ineligible. These disbursements are called "late disbursements." The student may submit verification documentation and receive a late disbursement after they cease enrollment if the Department of Education processed a FAFSA with an official SAI while he/she was still enrolled and eligible. In addition, for a Direct Loan program student loan, the loan must be originated prior to the date the student became ineligible.

The student must complete verification no later than 120 days after the last date of enrollment. A school may not make a late disbursement later than 180 days after the date the student becomes ineligible.

The Financial Aid Office offers personal counseling to students and parents concerning aid opportunities, application requirements, program guidelines, and student eligibility. Students and parents may call or visit the office during office hours for any needed assistance. Appointments are encouraged, but not necessary. Make an appointment.

At TAMIU, additional certificate programs are offered, however Title IV assistance is currently NOT approved for such programs by the U. S. Department of Education. In accordance with current guidelines, financial aid can be offered to students in a 'certificate program' only if the SCHOOL is awarding the certificate. At TAMIU, the certificate is not awarded by the SCHOOL but rather from the State of Texas; the student completes all required coursework at TAMIU which allows the student to 'sit' for certification at the State level, but students NOT certified by the State of Texas will not be allowed to 'practice/work' in Texas.

Financial aid funds are credited to a student's account balance after the census date of each semester. A student must have all financial aid requirements complete and be enrolled for the current term.

Students are responsible for making timely payment on their account to avoid late fees if their financial aid requirements are not complete or their aid is not enough to cover the entire balance.¹

The following grants will be automatically credited to the current semester* account when students enroll for the required number of hours for which they were awarded and have met all requirements:

  • Federal Pell Grant (FPELL)
  • Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
  • Texas Public Educational Grant (TPEG)
  • Texas Resident Success Grant (TAMIU Grant)
  • DUSTY Texas Resident Grant (TAMIU Grant)
  • Texas Resident Scholarship (TAMIU Scholarship)
  • Towards Excellence, Access, and Success Grant (Texas Grant)
  • All Scholarships awarded by TAMIU

¹Students are responsible for payment of all past due balances at the University.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Since financial aid awards are automatically applied to your account, your classes, or portion thereof, you will NOT be dropped for non-payment. If you change your mind about attending TAMIU, you MUST officially notify the University Registrar’s Office to drop your classes and the Office of Financial Aid to cancel your financial aid awards.

In order to receive full consideration for financial assistance and to ensure the determination of eligibility by the beginning of a given application period, an applicant must submit all required application forms to the Financial Aid Office by the priority deadline dates below:

2024-2025
Application(s)
Opens Deadline
Academic Year: FAFSA or TASFA1 January 1st March 15th
Spring Semester Only: FAFSA or TASFA1 January 1st December 3rd
Summer Only: FAFSA or TASFA1 January 1st May 1st
TAMIU Scholarships TAMIU Fund$FInder Dates vary depending on application

¹FAFSA/TASFA applications will be processed on a "first-come, first-served" basis.

Deadline to Submit All Required Documents
Academic Year: June 30th
Spring Semester Only: December 20th
Summer Only: May 30th

Students who are receiving financial aid can purchase their books and supplies at the University Bookstore by charging them to their student account. Students must have a complete financial aid folder, be registered for classes and their amount of aid must exceed the total tuition and fee charges for the semester. You will need to present your TAMIU ID card to the University Bookstore.

Bookstore purchases begin on:

  • Fall semester: July 25th
  • Spring semester: December 1st
  • Summer terms: one week prior to first class day

By charging your books and supplies you agree to adhere to the policies of TAMIU’s Office of Financial Aid, Bursars Office and Follet Bookstore. These policies include, but are not limited to, refunds, returns and exchanges.

Please see Purchasing Books with Financial Aid for more information.

If you do not have financial aid, please contact the Business Office for an emergency book loan.

A student who officially withdraws from the University may request a refund on tuition and refundable fees according to the following schedule which is specified by Senate Bill 604 (passed by the 65th Legislature). To receive a refund of tuition and related charges, a student must drop a course by the deadline date according to the schedule below:

Long Semesters Summer Semesters
100% prior to the first University class day 100% prior to the first University class day
80% during the first five University class days 80% during the first, second or third University class day
70% during the second five University class days 50% during the fourth, fifth or sixth University class day
50% during the third five University class days No refunds during the seventh class day or thereafter
25% during the fourth five University class days  
It is the student's right to know: It is the student's responsibilities to:
The cost of attending the University Complete all required application forms accurately
The deadlines for submitting applications Know and comply with all deadlines
The elements of determining financial need and how much need has been met Know and comply with the refund and repayment policy
The terms of student loans Notify loan service of any status changes
The University's refund and repayment policy Read and understand forms which require a signature
What financial assistance is available Request additional clarification or reconsideration of any aspect of the aid application or package
  Review all information about the University
  Submit all requested information in a timely manner

If a student is dually enrolled at TAMIU and another institution, Pell-eligible, undergraduate students can request reimbursement of Pell Grant for the additional hours taken at another institution. Students requesting reimbursement must be enrolled for more hours at TAMIU. in order to request Pell Grant reimbursement, student must submit the Financial Aid Consortium Agreement and a copy of the receipt from the other institution indicating a zero balance. Deadline to submit the Consortium Agreement is the 12th class day of the semester (4th class day for summer) for which you are applying.

At the end of the semester, students must submit an official transcript from the other institution to the University Registrar. Failure to do so will result in a hold being placed on your account. All hours taken at another institution that are reimbursed through dual enrollment are subject to TAMIU's Satisfactory Academic Progress.

To fill out the Consortium Agreement form.

Federal regulations state that only individuals enrolled as a regular student in an eligible program can receive federal or state aid. A regular student is one who is enrolled for the purpose of obtaining a degree or certificate offered by the institution. Students enrolling at TAMIU for the summer or for one semester and are not following a TAMIU degree or certification plan are not eligible for federal or state financial aid.

Federal regulations require the Office of Financial Aid to monitor student progression towards the completion of a degree and/or certificate program at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy (SAPP) includes quantitative and qualitative measures of progress. The quantitative measure requires that a specific number of credits be completed each academic year to remain eligible for financial aid. The qualitative measure requires maintaining a minimum institutional Grade Point Average (GPA).

Compliance with the SAP Policy will be verified at the end of each semester. SAPP rules apply to all semesters of enrollment whether financial aid was received or not.

To view the current SAP Policy.

Students receiving federal financial aid who withdraw from or stop attending all courses may be required to return a portion of financial aid received.

Federal regulations [HEA Section 484B, 485(a)(1)(F), 34 CFR 668.22], referred to as the Return of Title IV Funds policy, require TAMIU to calculate a refund and repayment of federal aid received by students who withdraw prior to the 60% point of a term for which he/she has received federal aid. The Title IV (federal) programs under this policy are: Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG), Teacher Educational Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant and Federal Direct Loans (Subsidized, Unsubsidized and PLUS). According to the Return of Title IV (R2T4) Funds policy, the student is allowed to retain only the amount of Title IV financial aid that was earned. If a student withdraws or stops participating in classes, a portion of the aid received is considered to be unearned and must be returned to the Title IV programs from which it was received. If the R2T4 calculation results in unearned aid that must be returned, both the school and the student are responsible for returning funds.

Students wishing to completely withdraw from the University must initiate the withdrawal process in the Office of the VP for Student Success (ZSC 224).

A student who fails all of their classes in a term may be subject to the R2T4 calculation. If a student “earned” at least one of their F’s (i.e. they participated in class until the end of the semester and received an F for poor performance), then no calculation is required. However, if the student failed all classes because they stopped attending at some point in the semester, then a R2T4 calculation is required based on the last documented date of attendance. If a last date of attendance cannot be determined, the 50% point of the term will be used as the withdrawal date, and the unearned aid will be 50%. At the end of the term, the Financial Aid Office will notify students who have received all F's of the requirement to perform the R2T4 calculation.

R2T4 Process upon determination that a student has withdrawn, the Financial Aid Office will process the R2T4 calculation.

The following steps are used to calculate the amount of aid a student has earned and how much must be returned (if any).

Students receiving federal financial aid who withdraw from or stop attending all courses may be required to return a portion of financial aid received.

Federal regulations [HEA Section 484B, 485(a)(1)(F), 34 CFR 668.22], referred to as the Return of Title IV Funds policy, require TAMIU to calculate a refund and repayment of federal aid received by students who withdraw prior to the 60% point of a term for which he/she has received federal aid. The Title IV (federal) programs under this policy are: Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG), Teacher Educational Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant and Federal Direct Loans (Subsidized, Unsubsidized and PLUS). According to the Return of Title IV (R2T4) Funds policy, the student is allowed to retain only the amount of Title IV financial aid that was earned. If a student withdraws or stops participating in classes, a portion of the aid received is considered to be unearned and must be returned to the Title IV programs from which it was received. If the R2T4 calculation results in unearned aid that must be returned, both the school and the student are responsible for returning funds.

Students wishing to completely withdraw from the University must initiate the withdrawal process in the Office of the VP for Student Success (ZSC 224).

A student who fails all of their classes in a term may be subject to the R2T4 calculation. If a student “earned” at least one of their F’s (i.e. they participated in class until the end of the semester and received an F for poor performance), then no calculation is required. However, if the student failed all classes because they stopped attending at some point in the semester, then a R2T4 calculation is required based on the last documented date of attendance. If a last date of attendance cannot be determined, the 50% point of the term will be used as the withdrawal date, and the unearned aid will be 50%. At the end of the term, the Financial Aid Office will notify students who have received all F's of the requirement to perform the R2T4 calculation.

R2T4 Process upon determination that a student has withdrawn, the Financial Aid Office will process the R2T4 calculation.

The following steps are used to calculate the amount of aid a student has earned and how much must be returned (if any).

Determination of the withdrawal date

For Title IV purposes, the last date of academic attendance is one of the following:

  • The date the formal withdrawal process beings
  • The date the student otherwise gives officials notice of intent to withdraw (e.g., letter, withdrawal form, in-person)
  • The mid-point of the term, or
  • The last documented date of attendance in an academically-related activity (e.g., documented attendance in a class, lab or submission of an assignment in an on-line course)

Determination of the amount of aid the student earned

The percentage of aid the student has earned is equal to the percentage of the semester (payment period) the student has completed. The percentage of the payment period completed is calculated by dividing the total number of calendar days completed (first class day to the last date of attendance) by the total number of calendar days in the term. The percentage of Title IV assistance to which the student is entitled (has "earned") is equal to this completed percentage up to 60%. If the withdrawal occurs after the 60% point, the percentage is equal to 100%. The amount of aid the student has earned is calculated by multiplying this percentage by the total amount of Title IV aid disbursed (and could have been disbursed) to the student.

Determination of the amount of aid the student did not earn

The amount of Title IV aid which must be returned is based on the percentage of unearned aid. That percentage is computed by subtracting the earned aid percentage from 100%. If a student did not receive all of the funds that they earned, they may be due a post-withdrawal disbursement. If the calculation determines that a student is due a post-withdrawal disbursement, the school must obtain the student's permission to disburse any loan funds. Furthermore, the school may keep all or a portion of grant funds to pay for any tuition, fees, and food & housing charges that are due.

Determination of the amount of aid the University must return 

The University is required to return the lesser of the unearned aid percentage applied to institutional charges or the unearned aid percentage applied to the total. Title IV aid received within 45 days of the date of determination of the withdrawal. Unearned aid will be returned to the aid programs in the following order:

  • Unsubsidized Direct Loans
  • Subsidized Direct Loans
  • Pell Grant
  • FSEOG
  • TEACH Grant.

The University will bill the student for any account balance created when Title IV aid is returned.

Determination of the amount of aid the student must return

The student is required to pay the difference between the amount of unearned aid and the amount returned by the University. If the student's portion of the unearned aid includes federal grants, they are only required to return the grant amount that exceeds 50% of the original amount received for that semester. If the amount the student owes is less than 50%, then no payment is required. Federal regulations allow schools to charge a student for any amount paid on the student's behalf. TAMIU will return grant funds on the student's behalf and bill the student accordingly. The student's share of loan funds to be returned may be repaid in accordance with the terms of the master promissory note.

Texas A&M International University
Senator Judith Zaffirini Student Success Center (ZSC) 214
5201 University Blvd.
Laredo, TX 78041
Phone 956.326.2225
Fax 956.326.2224
Email financialaid@tamiu.edu