Financial Aid Package
Your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) will be reviewed for financial aid eligibility once all of the following steps are complete:
- The student completes all documents required for financial aid as listed on the financial aid checklist in the myBLINN portal.
- The student completes all documents required for financial aid as listed on the Financial Aid/Veterans Dashboard in the myBLINN portal.
- On the Financial Aid Checklist, click on the Accept Award Offer tab. You will see a list of the types and amounts of financial aid.
- On the Financial Aid/Veterans Dashboard, click on the Award Offer tab. You will see a list of the types and amounts of financial aid.
Once these are completed, the FAFSA will be reviewed for all financial aid programs that are offered and funding that exists for the aid year (see the list of financial aid programs - grants, loans, and work-study - listed on Types of Financial Aid Home)
Students must apply individually for scholarships, exemptions and waivers, veteran benefits, Texas Guaranteed Tuition Plan, and Texas Tuition Promise Fund/529 Plans.
Step One: Review your financial aid.
On the Financial Aid Checklist, click on the Accept Award Offer tab. You will see a list of the types and amounts of financial aid. Each financial aid type has a link with a description. Understand the types of financial aid included in your package:
- Grants: Free money. There may be conditions for each grant.
- Work-Study: This is the only opportunity to apply for and possibly be hired for work-study jobs through Blinn College.
- Loans: This is debt and you must pay this back. Your goal always should be to borrow the smallest amount of money necessary to attend school.
- Scholarships: These are various types of free money that students must apply for separate from other financial aid types.
Step Two: Determine what college will cost.
- Total up the amount of financial aid you have available by semester. Do not include work-study in this amount.
- Determine your college costs and other expenses. Use the Blinn College District Cost of Attendance to calculate the following.
- Blinn College direct costs
- Tuition and Fees
- Dorm and meal plan if you are living on campus
- Other costs
- Book and Supplies
- Housing and food if you are living off campus
- Transportation costs while attending college – will you need a parking pass?
- Incidental personal expenses
- Blinn College direct costs
Step Three: Determine if you have enough financial aid to cover your direct and indirect costs.
Step Four: Accept the financial aid you determine is needed to cover the costs, then complete any requirements as a result of accepting some types of financial aid.
Step Five: Determine what to do if your financial aid is not enough.
- Dependent students:
- Your parent can apply for a Direct PLUS Loan. Parents who apply for a Direct PLUS Loan will need to submit a Parent PLUS Authorization Form.
- You or your parent can apply for a Private Loan.
- If one or both of a student’s parents are denied for a Direct PLUS and choose not to have a co-signer, then the student can be awarded an additional $4,000 in Direct Unsubsidized Loan money for the academic year. Students must submit a Financial Aid Adjustment Request for the correct academic year.
- Independent students:
- Your package should include all of your Direct Subsidized Loan and Direct Unsubsidized Loan money for which you are eligible. If the amounts originally included in your financial aid package appear to be incorrect, you can submit a Financial Aid Adjustment Request for the correct academic year. We will review and reply to your request.