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Financial Aid FAQs


What is a T Number and how do I get a T Number?
Each admitted student is issued a Texas Southern University ID number, commonly referred to as a T-Number. The T-number will be provided on the admission letter and must be used to make your seat deposit. Please safeguard your T-Number as it is a unique identifying number for you. Once you have the T-Number, please include it on all correspondence with the University.


Do I need to fill out a FAFSA each year?
Yes, the FAFSA is now available beginning October 1st of each year for submission.


Do I need to have filed my current year’s taxes before I can complete the FAFSA?
No, the FAFSA collects the prior year’s tax information.


How long does it take for the FAFSA to process?
It takes 3-5 business days for the University to receive your FAFSA from the time you successfully submit your online FASFA application online through https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa/.

Must I include parental information?
All law students are considered independent for FA purposes (even if you were a dependent in the current tax year), and thus parental information is neither required nor considered.


Do I need to complete a separate application to apply for scholarships?
No, every student admitted to the Law School is considered for scholarship assistance without an additional application.


Are there any additional requirements that must be completed prior to my loan being awarded or certified?
Yes, admitted students should log into their MyTSU Web Portal to check for their Financial Aid Requirements:

  • Launch TSU Website www.tsu.edu.
  • Click MyTSU link to access the student web portal.
  • Click Prospective Student **Use your Student ID number assigned to you in your letter of admission and your password to log in.
  • Click Financial Aid Tab.
  • Click – My Eligibility.
  • Click Student Requirements and you will see any requirements needed to process your financial aid.


How do I complete Entrance or Exit Counseling?
To complete your Entrance or Exit Counseling:

  • Log in online at www.studentloans.gov with your FASA ID.
  • Under the Title “I Want To” you will click the 2nd tab “Complete Loan Counseling”. You will either click “Entrance Counseling” or “Exit Counseling”.

Note: The student loan website is not always available on weekends.


Must I accept approved Student Loans?
Although federal loans are included in the student’s federal award package, the student is not obligated to take the entire loan amount.  In order to complete the loan process, the student must:

  • Accept or reduce the Federal Direct Subsidized or Grad Plus Loan on the MYTSU portal. 
  • Complete Entrance Loan counseling at www.studentloans.gov. Entrance Loan counseling is a mandatory information session designed to provide information on the student’s rights and responsibilities.
  • Complete a Master Promissory Note at www.studentloans.gov.

If you do not want to receive the approved loans, you may decline the loan. There are no punitive actions associated with reducing or declining the Federal Direct Loans. Click here for additional information on federal loan programs.


How do I sign my Master Promissory Note (MPN)?
You can complete the MPN online at www.studentloans.gov. You must wait approximately 48-72 hours after accepting loans and completing the Entrance Counseling.

  • Log in online at www.studentloans.gov.
  • Click on the 3rd tab labeled “Complete Loan Agreement (Master Promissory Note)”.
  • For Subsidized/Unsubsidized for Undergraduate/Graduate (unsubsidized) student, click the 1st tab.
  • For PLUS MPN for Graduate/Professionals for Grad PLUS loans, click the 2nd tab.
  • For Parent PLUS loans, click the 3rd tab.


How will I know when the funds have paid into my account?
You will know your Financial Aid has been paid to your account by reviewing the Award History on the MyTSU Web portal. Here you will see what has paid to your account.


What is a Book Reserve?
In order to assist a student in paying for books, a portion of the approved student loan is advanced as a Book Reserve. Once financial aid has been paid to a student’s account, a credit will be applied to that student’s account in a predetermined amount for use in the University Book Store. When the student’s loan is disbursed, the amount of the Book Reserve that has been used will be deducted from any refund due to the student.  If a student pays for their books out of pocket and does not utilize the Book Reserve, this amount is not deducted and becomes part of their financial aid refund. To be eligible for a book reserve the student must have accepted and been approved for financial aid that will cover tuition and fees as well as the predetermined book reserve amount.


How do I get my financial aid refund?
A student is eligible for a financial aid refund once all tuition and fees due are paid resulting in an overpayment in the student account.  You may receive your refund in the form of a check, direct deposit, or your tiger card by visiting enroll.moneynetworkedu.com to enroll.  You will receive your refund more quickly by having the funds direct deposited.

I have Veteran’s Benefits.  How do I access those benefits?
Please visit: https://tsu.edu/veterans-affairs/hazlewood.
 

If the Law School has awarded me a scholarship, can I use both the scholarship and my Veteran’s Post 911 or Hazlewood tuition benefits?
Scholarships awarded by the Law School may only be applied to Law School tuition. It may be applied to any tuition gap, if one remains, after military tuition benefits have been applied.


I have received a scholarship from an outside source. Can this scholarship be applied to the rest of the budget constituting the Cost of Attendance?
If tuition is fully covered by an outside source, the Law School Scholarship may not be used for any other law school related expenses. Whether the outside scholarship can be used for such other law school related expenses would depend on the intention of the outside scholarship. If the “outside” scholarship was designated to be used for tuition only, that scholarship would be applied to your tuition first and your law school scholarship would be used, or reduced, to cover whatever remainder of tuition was left, up to the value of the original award made by the Law School.

Scholarships by any entity specifically awarded to be used toward tuition may not be used for any other purpose and the total of all such scholarships awarded and applied to a student’s account may not exceed the cost of tuition.


I attended law school previously, will I be considered for a scholarship?
A student who has previously attended any law school will not be considered for scholarship awards at TMSL.


Does Changes to Your Enrollment Affect Your Financial Aid?
If you consider dropping from a class or withdrawing, we recommend you consult with a financial aid representative to discuss your options. The financial aid funds you were awarded for the year were based on the default of 15 credit hrs. or the amount of credits you were enrolled in at the time you were awarded. Should your credits decrease, your financial aid will be adjusted and may result in owing the university if a refund has been processed.

What Are Financial Aid Overawards?
Federal regulations require colleges to consider all educational financial assistance to be calculated in determining student eligibility. Financial assistance includes grants, loans, scholarships, waivers, fellowships/assistantships, work study, specific Veteran educational benefits, and similar programs used to cover postsecondary educational expenses. 

When a student received more aid than his/her financial need or our cost of attendance, the result may be an overaward. Overawards must be resolved and may result in funds being returned to an aid program and the student owing the university


What happens to my financial aid if I receive an External Scholarship?
Scholarships are considered a resource and will affect the amount of need-based aid included within the financial aid packages. In some cases, your cost of attendance may require adjustments to be made to the scholarships as well as federal, state, or university funding.  As a result, reductions or cancellations of existing aid within the financial aid packages may occur.