Financial Aid Available for Spring at TAMIU

Reboot your skill set, increase your marketability or change your career with an advanced degree from Texas A&M International University. Registration for Spring 2009 starts Monday, Nov. 3 at uonline.tamiu.edu.

Even though credit markets have tightened, there is still money available for new and returning students at TAMIU, according to Melanie Martínez, financial aid SIS coordinator, TAMIU Office of Financial Aid.

Students currently receiving aid and enrolled for the Fall semester will receive the same amount of money in the Spring as long as their enrollment status does not change. New students, or current students who have not yet applied, need to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to be eligible for aid.

Students who complete the FAFSA and meet eligibility requirements will be able to receive federal aid in the form of Pell, ACG and SMART grants as well as student loans.

“We have not seen a negative impact on our students’ ability to borrow Stafford loans, which are not credit-based, and have not been affected by the credit crunch as much as private loans have. Many lenders are still participating in the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) program because of the Ensuring Continued Access to Student Loans Act (ECASLA),” Martínez explained.

“There are also a limited number of state grants available for students enrolling for the Spring. The availability of the grants is based on state funding and TAMIU awards the funds based on FAFSA information,” she said.

Martínez added that scholarships are awarded at the beginning of the Fall semester for the full academic year, but there may be money from external scholarships available for the Spring semester. Eligibility requirements and deadlines vary widely for outside scholarships.

A list of external scholarships is available at tamiu.edu/affairs/financial/links

For more information, contact the Office of Financial Aid at financialaid@tamiu.edu, call 326.2225 or visit the Sue and Radcliffe Killam Library, room 158 or click on tamiu.edu/affairs/financial/index

Effective Nov. 1, 2008, service hours will be Monday and Tuesday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday, 8 a.m. – 7 p.m. and Friday, 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.

TAMIU offers a variety of undergraduate, graduate or doctoral degree programs at one of Texas’ fastest-growing regional universities.

For more information on how to apply, click on tamiu.edu/whatiwant

Journalists who need additional information or help with media requests and interviews should contact the Office of Public Relations, Marketing and Information Services at prmis@tamiu.edu