Apply for Financial Aid

You must complete the following steps in order to receive financial aid. These steps must be completed each academic year that you wish to receive financial aid.

New 2012-13 FAFSA Applications should be submitted NOW for Fall 2012 semester.  Go to http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/ to complete your application as soon as possible so that we can begin to process any additional documents that may be required.  The sooner you begin the process, the sooner you will be finished.  If you do not apply before July 1, you will not have funding at the beginning of the Fall 2012 term.  Be prepared to pay your tuition and fees.  If you have any questions, please contact the Financial Aid Office at 281.290.2700.

The financial aid process is started by submitting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to the U.S. Department of Education. The application will require the student’s information. If the student is married, the spouse's information will also be required. Students under 24 are generally required to submit the parent's information; however, the FAFSA has exceptions for students in unusual circumstances.

Lone Star College will only process financial aid applications after a student has successfully completed our admissions application.

Step 1: FAFSA

Submit a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) through the U.S. Department of Education. If this is your first time completing a FAFSA, start by getting your PIN.

You must also complete all LSCS applications and admissions requirements. Lone Star College will only process financial aid applications after a student has successfully completed our admissions application.

Note: The following school code is required for the FAFSA and LSCS financial aid applications: 011145

Step 2: Submit Additional Information

There may be additional forms to fill out once we receive your FAFSA data.  Clarification may be needed on  one or more of your answers or tax documents. (These are just a few examples of additional processes which may be  flagged by FAFSA or by the institution based on federal requirements.) 

View the New Process for Financial Aid Verification

You will be notified of any requirements via your LSCS campus e-mail address.  An e-mail account will be assigned to you after completing an admissions application.  You can check your e-mail by logging into myLoneStar.

Step 3: Review Awards

You must complete an admissions application before receiving a financial aid award package. It takes approximately three weeks to process financial aid applications. Once you have been awarded, you can view your Financial Aid package in myLoneStar. Students must complete a Master Promissory Note (MPN) and Loan Entrance Counseling to receive Stafford Loans.

Federal Tax Information

Federal Update: If you encounter challenges using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool or getting an IRS tax transcript, the Department of Education has permitted colleges to accept tax forms (1040, 1040A, etc.) until July 15.

The 2012-13 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) was revised to make the form easier to complete and to improve the accuracy of the information provided on the form. These changes may impact when and how your 2011 federal tax returns are filed and how the 2012-13 FAFSA is completed.

Are You Eligible to Use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool?

Dependent and independent applicants (and the dependent applicant’s parent) who meet all of the following criteria may be eligible to use the 2012-2013 IRS Data Retrieval process:

• Must have a valid Social Security Number and legal name match
• Must have filed a 2011 federal tax return with none of the following:
  • Married Filing Separately
  • Married Filing Head of Household
  • Filed or will file an amended 2011 tax return
  • Filed a Puerto Rican or foreign tax return
  • Marital status from January 1, 2011 through May 11, 2013 has changed
  • Applied for a 2011 Federal IRS Tax Filing Extension
  • 2011 Federal Tax Return was recently filed

Applicant and/or Parent Eligible to Transfer Data

Applicant and/or Parent Not Eligible to Transfer Data

If you are ineligible to use the FAFSA Link to IRS feature because of your 2011 tax filing and/or marital status, and your 2012-13 FAFSA is selected for verification, you will be required to submit a tax transcript to complete the process.