The U.S. Government is the largest provider of student financial aid through FAFSA – Free Application for Federal Student Aid. More than $150 billion in grants, loans, and work-study funds are available each year to help millions of students pay for higher education. Because seniors who complete the FAFSA are 90 percent more likely to attend college, HISD is taking part in Houston FAFSA Day, a communitywide effort to help high school seniors and their families complete the application, on Feb. 20.

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“Completing the FAFSA is an important step in ensuring college enrollment among our students,” said Shontel Roberts with the College Readiness Department. Parents and students* should bring the following to complete the FAFSA:
• Social Security number
• Driver’s license number
• Most recent federal tax return
• Most recent W-2 or year-end pay stub
• Untaxed income records
• Bank statements
• Business and investment records
• Alien registration card if not a U.S. citizen
*students who were born before Jan. 1, 1992, do not need to bring parental information

All HISD high schools have agreed to educate seniors and their families on the importance of completing the FAFSA.

Davis High School seniors will be working on their applications during the school day, and their GO Center will be open from 8 a.m.- 8 p.m. to assist both seniors and K-11 students, who can get started early with FAFSA4caster, which will help them understand their options for paying for college. There will be a presentation on financial aid by representatives from the University of Texas at 2:30 p.m., and the evening event will include information on HISD’s EMERGE program, Project Grad, Upward Bound, and much more.

Bellaire High School will have their computer lab open with trained bilingual volunteers to assist seniors with their applications.

DeBakey High School for Health Professions is having their FAFSA Workshop on Feb. 18 at 6:30 p.m. in the cafeteria. A financial aid consultant will make a presentation in which he demonstrates step-by-step how to complete the FAFSA and assist parents with tax preparation if needed. On Feb. 20, counselors will contact all seniors to make sure they have completed the application. Going forward, the consultant will be available once a week for students who still need help.

For questions, please contact your high school campus or HISD College Readiness at 713-556-7196.