Apply for Financial Aid

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

Before Getting Started: Becoming a Palomino

Only financial aid applications for students who are officially admitted to Laredo College will be processed. For those who are beginning their first semester at Laredo College, it is essential to complete the admissions process to be considered for financial aid.

Overview of FAFSA 

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is a process established by the U.S. Department of Education to assess eligibility for federal financial aid programs. In the state of Texas, the FAFSA is also utilized to determine eligibility for state financial aid programs. 

It is critical that the FAFSA form is completed accurately and thoroughly to ensure proper calculation of eligibility. 

The FAFSA for each academic year becomes available on October 1st of the preceding year. For instance, the FAFSA for the 2026-2027 academic year will be available on October 1, 2025. (The FAFSA for the 2025-2026 academic year is currently open for submission.)

It is recommended that the FAFSA be completed as early as possible as certain types of financial aid are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.

Priority Dates for Financial Aid Applications

To optimize the chances of receiving certain types of financial aid, Laredo College strongly recommends that students submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by the priority dates outlined below. Although students may apply for financial aid after these priority dates, it is important to note that tuition costs may need to be covered by the payment due date if financial aid processing is delayed.

Priority Dates for Financial Aid:

  • Fall Semester: January 15
  • Spring Semester: October 15
  • Summer Semester: March 1

Student must check their Laredo College student email and/or the Student Self-Service Financial Aid section on the PasPort portal for pending tasks, important deadlines and financial aid status updates.

Important Note: The financial aid award year at Laredo College begins in the Fall, continues in Spring, and ends in the Summer semesters.

The U.S. Department of Education's deadline of June 30th is set for the end of the award year, and this deadline cannot be extended; there are no exceptions. 

Applying for Financial Aid: FAFSA
Step 1: Creating a StudentAid.gov Account

Every contributor who's required to provide information on the FAFSA form needs a StudentAid.gov account before accessing and completing their section of the online form. It is recommended the student and their contributor(s) create StudentAid.gov accounts before starting your FAFSA form.

Step 2: Gathering Needed Documents

The following information or documents may be needed as the FAFSA form is completed:

  • Tax returns (prior-prior tax year model)

  • Records of child support received

  • Current balances of cash, savings, and checking accounts

  • Net worth of investments, businesses, and farms

For a complete listing visit the Federal Student Aid website

Step 3: Complete the FAFSA Form

One of these methods may be selected to file a FAFSA form:

  • Log in at fafsa.gov to apply online (highly recommended for faster processing and verification time)

    To start the online FAFSA form, select “Start New Form” and “Log In” with the account username and password.

  • Complete a FAFSA PDF (note: you must print out and mail the FAFSA PDF for processing, however, if an online FAFSA has been completed before then no eligibility to submit a paper form/correction exists)

For a step-by-step guide on how to complete the FAFSA application refer to the Federal Student Aid website or their how-to-videos. 

Additional Information:

Information regarding the following topics can be found in detail at the Federal Student Aid website.

  • Determining Your Dependency Status
  • Reporting Parents’ Information
  • Reporting Spouse’s Information
  • Providing Financial Information
  • What To Do If Your Parents’ (or Your) Marital Status Has Changed Since Taxes Were Filed
  • Automatically Transferring Your Tax Information
Step 4: Listing Colleges and/or Career Schools

While completing the FAFSA form, the student must list at least one school to receive their information. The schools listed will use the FAFSA information provided to determine the types and amounts of student aid that may be received.

To include Laredo College the following school code (003580) must be entered in the FAFSA application. Failure to list the school code will result in the Laredo College Office of Financial Aid not receiving the processed application from the U.S. Department of Education.

Step 5: Signing and Submitting the FAFSA Form

After completing the required and corresponding section of the FAFSA form online, the student will acknowledge the terms and conditions of the form and electronically sign their section. The student can submit their section of the FAFSA form, however, the FAFSA form won’t be considered complete until all required contributors provide their information on the FAFSA form, give their consent and approval to transfer federal tax information into the form, and provide their signatures.

After the student and their parent (and/or any other required contributor) sign and submit the FAFSA form, the form will be considered complete and will be submitted for processing.