Understanding Financial Aid Eligibility

Financial aid eligibility is determined using information submitted through the FAFSA, CSS Profile, and
supporting financial documentation.

Eligibility for aid may vary depending on:

  • Family financial circumstances
  • Enrollment status
  • Academic progress
  • Residency and citizenship status
  • Availability of funding

The FAFSA and CSS Profile consider multiple factors when determining eligibility, including family income,
assets, household size, taxes paid, and the number of family members enrolled in college.

Understanding Financial Need

The FAFSA calculates a Student Aid Index (SAI), which colleges use to help determine eligibility for need-based aid. Trinity may also consider additional information through institutional review processes.

Financial aid offers may include a combination of scholarships, grants, loans, and student employment.

Verification and Additional Documentation

Federal regulations require some students to complete a verification process before financial aid eligibility can be finalized.

If selected, students may be required to submit additional documentation to confirm information reported on financial aid applications.

Failure to submit requested documentation may delay or prevent financial aid processing.

Verification

Verification is a process where the university confirms the accuracy of the information you submitted on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

After filing or making corrections to your FAFSA, a notification is sent to you by the federal processing center that a FAFSA Submission Summary (FSS) is available for viewing. Review your FSS carefully. If the federal processing center selected you for verification, it will be indicated on the report.

If your financial aid offer from Trinity indicates that the award is estimated and verification is required, or you receive an email asking you to submit verification documents, you have been selected for verification. Please read all correspondence from us and respond in a timely fashion.

The verification process can be different for each student. Students selected for verification will be provided with a
specific list of documents required to begin the process:

1. If you filed FAFSA WITH parent information (Dependent Student)
You may need to submit:

Required forms
• 2026-27 Dependent Verification Worksheet

Parent financial documents
• Parents 2024 IRS Tax Return Transcript or a signed 2024 Form 1040
• Parents 2024 W-2 forms
• Possibly:
o Schedule 1
o Schedule 3
o Schedule K-1
o Form 2555
o Student 2024 IRS Tax Return Transcript or signed 2024 Form 1040
o Student 2024 W-2 forms

2. If you filed FAFSA WITHOUT parent information (Independent Student)
You may need to submit:

Required forms
• 2026-27 Independent Verification Worksheet

Your financial documents
• Your 2024 IRS Tax Return Transcript or signed 2024 Form 1040
• Your 2024 W-2 forms

If married
• Your spouse's 2024 W-2 forms
Possibly also
• Schedule 3
• Form 2555

3. Some students may also need to provide
• Identity/Statement of Educational Purpose

Important:
• If you don't submit the statement of educational purpose in person, it must be notarized.

4. If you cannot find your tax transcript
You can request it from the Internal Revenue Service:
• Online
• By mail

NOTE: All requested documents must be submitted before the verification process can begin. No state or federal funding may be released until verification is complete.

Once our office receives all the required documents from you, the normal processing time is 10 to 14 days. You will be notified once verification is complete and if any adjustments have been made to your financial aid package.

Students with network credentials who can access TU Workday: 

- Log into your student portal (Workday) using your Trinity network credentials. (Note that your network credentials are different from your T-Mail login credentials.)

- Once you are logged in, select “Finances” in the app menu box on the right-hand side of the welcome page.

- Navigate to “My Financial Aid” and click on the Financial Aid – PowerFAIDs Student Portal link (This portal is not yet mobile-optimized. Logging in on a computer will provide the best user experience.)

- From the menu dropdown, choose the Financial Aid Documents to view your document status and upload requested documents. 

- All documents will be reviewed by financial aid staff, and students will be notified if additional information is necessary. 

Request a Wage and Income Transcript from the Internal Revenue Service. This transcript can replace your W-2s for verification.

If you filed an amendment to your taxes (IRS Form 1040X), you will need to provide a signed copy of the 1040X that you submitted to amend your original return.

Note: Verification must be completed no later than October 1. All need-based aid will be canceled in full if verification is outstanding after this date.
 

Enrollment Requirements

Financial aid eligibility may be affected by enrollment status and changes to a student's academic schedule.

  • Many aid programs require full-time enrollment.
  • Dropping or withdrawing from courses may impact aid eligibility.
  • Housing changes may affect certain aid calculations.
  • Federal regulations may require aid adjustments after enrollment changes.

Additional Information:
Students attending more than one college during the same academic term may only receive financial aid from one institution and should notify Student Financial Services if this situation applies.

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

Students must make Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) to maintain eligibility for financial aid. SAP is reviewed according to Trinity’s financial aid policy and considers a student’s progress toward completing their degree.

Review the full Satisfactory Academic Progress policy for requirements, evaluation procedures, and appeal information.

Special Circumstances and Appeals

Changes in a family’s financial circumstances may affect future financial aid eligibility. Improved financial circumstances may reduce need-based aid, while financial hardship may increase eligibility for need-based assistance.

Students whose financial circumstances have changed significantly may submit a Special Circumstances Appeal for review. Examples may include:

  • Loss or reduction of income
  • High medical or dental expenses paid within the previous two calendar years
  • Separation or divorce
  • Death of a parent or spouse
  • Other significant changes affecting the family’s ability to contribute

Submitting an appeal does not guarantee an adjustment. Student Financial Services will review the documentation provided and determine whether a change to the financial aid offer is appropriate.

Special Circumstances

If your family has an unusual financial circumstance that is not accurately reflected on your household's current tax information, you may request a review to see if adjustments can be made.

Consideration of special circumstances does not guarantee an adjustment or increase to financial aid eligibility. Adjustments for special circumstances are based on availability of funding. We have developed guidelines to help you understand what we can and cannot consider as special circumstances.

While the very nature of special circumstance consideration is a case-by-case review, we find that families often want some guidelines regarding what we can and cannot consider to assist them in deciding whether or not to submit a special circumstances request.

- Involuntary loss of employment resulting in an anticipated reduction of at least 15% in total income. Unemployment must have occurred at least eight weeks before requesting a special circumstances appeal.
- Loss of untaxed income or benefits such as alimony or child support
- Reduction of income due to legal separation or divorce of parents/spouse
- Reduction of income due to death of parents/spouse
- High medical and or dental expenses paid within the prior two calendar years that exceed 15% of total income (do not include copays)

If any of these circumstances apply to you, please contact our office to speak with your assigned financial aid counselor.

- Private school tuition for siblings, unless enrollment is necessary due to disability
- Yearly fluctuations in income due to loss of overtime or bonuses
- Personal consumer debt, such as credit-card or car payments
- Parental unwillingness to support educational expenses associated with enrollment at Trinity
- Exclusion of business income reported on personal tax return
- Requests to match offers from other colleges or universities; Trinity University does not change or negotiate awards based on comparisons with financial aid awards received from other colleges.

Office of Student Financial Services

Location

Northrup Hall

Phone

210-999-8898

Fax

210-999-8316

Emails

Email