After being accepted to college, the first thought on every students mind is, “how am I supposed to pay for this?” That’s where financial aid comes in.

The UTSA Financial Aid office is located on the first floor of the JPL building, but how much do students really know about it? There are many misconceptions about financial aid and how it works, and many students just feel overwhelmed. “I had issues typical of a freshman, not knowing what to do”, Junior Tierra Vine, said. What is important to remember is that the financial aid office is there to help you. Diana Martinez, Director of Student Financial Aid, has been at UTSA since 2002 and has lots of experience working with students. She passed along some helpful tips that should make your life much easier.

Everyone is eligible for financial aid.

According to director Martinez, “Everyone that applies gets some form of financial aid” One of the biggest misconceptions students have is thinking that loans don’t count as financial aid. They do.  In fact, the subsidized loans offered to students are interest free, with the student not even having to pay anything back until six months.



Not all financial aid is need based.

 “I know that you have to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid Form and that lower income families get more aid,” Junior Ryan Huston, said.  Many students are discouraged from applying for financial aid because they believe it is all need based. This is not the case. Merit based scholarships are offered to UTSA students every year, with the deadline for the application being February 15  In addition to the general UTSA scholarships, the different colleges at UTSA offer their own scholarships that students can qualify for under their majors. 

Apply early

“What I always say is that as soon as the fireworks start going off, go inside and send in your FAFSA”, Martinez said. The FAFSA, or Free Application for Federal Student Aid form, is the first step in getting money for college, and you can start sending it in as early as January 1. One of the biggest problems students encounter when dealing with financial aid is that they wait too long to start thinking about it. It’s best to get it out of the way as early as possible, which is something that is greatly emphasized at the financial aid office. Martinez also mentioned that “financial aid is done on a first come first serve basis


You can talk to someone before applying  for financial aid.

The financial aid offers counseling for students and parents, as well as workshops for filling out the FAFSA form. If a student or parent is unsure of what to do or what their best options are, there is always someone available to them that can help. Appointments can be made through telephone or online, as well as in person. Also, the financial aid office has a fan page on Facebook and Twitter for more tech savvy students. However, going directly to the financial aid office is a great way of receiving direct information. “I only needed to talk to them once, so when I walked I was helped right away. It was easy!” freshman Meghan Huesing, said.

What your FAFSA says is not final.

 It is possible that your FAFSA will say you don’t qualify for financial aid, or will not give you the amount you need. If a students have special circumstances that could potentially qualify them for more aid than their FAFSA said, such as a parent losing a job since the FAFSA was filled out, there is a special needs form that can be filled out.
 “With the state of the economy we’ve seen an increase in special needs requests from students”, Diana Martinez said. Any students who feel they qualify for this should ask about it at the financial aid office.

You don’t have to wait for your parents to file the taxes.

The deadline for taxes to be filed is April 15, but the deadline for financial aid is March 31. If the taxes still aren’t done, students can estimate on their FAFSA, and then adjust it at a later time. As long as the FAFSA is sent in before the cut off date, students can simply adjust the information once the taxes have been filed to be more accurate.
These tips should be kept in mind while thinking about financial aid.

 “Part of our job is to help students and parents be better consumers of financial aid,”  Diana Martinez, said.

 “We’re here to help them”.