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Admissions & Financial Aid

Free application for Federal Student Aid

Students applying for financial aid will need to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA determines the amount of assistance and which program is appropriate for each applicant. You must complete the FAFSA online.

The FAFSA becomes available on Oct. 1 each year and you must complete it in order to continue receiving aid for the fall, spring and summer terms.

Follow these steps:

Before you begin your application, you will need to create your Federal Student Aid (FSA) ID and Password to access all federal student aid web sites. Once you receive your FSA ID, you have immediate access to your FAFSA, and you will use the same ID every year you apply for aid. Only one FSA ID and FAFSA application are needed per student, even if you are applying to multiple schools.

  • Once you have created your FSA ID, you will need to complete the application. This application determines your eligibility for all forms of financial aid, so it is very important that you take time to read all instructions carefully and be as accurate as possible. Filing is free, and your application can be submitted any time after Oct. 1 each year to be eligible for aid the following academic year.
  • USC Upstate’s Title IV School Code is 006951.
  • Check the status of your financial aid application by logging on to Self-Service Carolina.
  • For more information, please contact the Financial Aid Office at 864-503-5340.

IMPORTANT FAFSA INFORMATION

NEW: 2021-2022 FAFSA Filing Date Change
The 2021-2022 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is now available.Students and parents, must report income information from their 2019 tax data, this is the same information used this year. The priority date for need-based aid is still March 1. 

IMPORTANT: Updates have been made to the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) to include an IRS Data Retrieval Process that will allow students and parents (once they have filed their tax returns) to populate their tax return information on the FAFSA. Complete and file your 2019 Federal Tax Return with the IRS for both students and parents as soon as possible and approximately three weeks after you file your tax return with the IRS you can go to the FAFSA and use the IRS Data Retrieval Process by clicking "LINK TO IRS." Note: married students who file separate returns or parents of a dependent student who file separate returns may not use the "LINK TO IRS" retrieval.

Note: Please do not fax or email any documents to our office with full social security number listed.  

FAFSA VERIFICATION: The Department of Education has also updated regulations for students who are selected for verification. The financial aid office can no longer accept copies of federal tax returns. Students whose FAFSA has been selected for verification MUST use the IRS data retrieval process on the FAFSA or request a copy of their federal tax return transcript by calling the IRS at 1-800-908-9946.

* Please note the deadline to apply for need-based aid is June 30.

Documents needed for FAFSA

You will need to provide the following information from you and your parent(s)/guardian(s) in order to successfully complete and submit your FAFSA:

  • Social Security Number
  • Alien registration number (if you are not a U.S. citizen)
  • Prior, prior year federal income tax return, W-2s and other records of money earned. 
  • Bank statements and records of investments (if applicable)
  • Records of untaxed income (if applicable)
  • FSA (Federal Student Aid) ID to sign electronically. (If you do not already have one, visit studentaid.gov

** Please note if you are not a dependent student, you will not need your parent or guardian information.

Tax Return Information

There are two ways to provide your tax return information:

  • IRS Data Retrieval Tool (preferred method), simply click “Link to IRS” on the FAFSA site.

    1. Use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool that is part of FAFSA on the web in lieu of submitting an IRS Tax Return Transcript. If you have not already used it, go to FAFSA.ed.gov, log in to your FAFSA record, select “Make FAFSA Corrections”, and navigate to the Financial Infor-mation section of the form. From there, follow the instructions to determine if you are eligi-ble to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to transfer your tax information. Once complete, please go to the SUBMIT tab to resubmit the data. We will receive the updated in about five days. (Filers are not eligible to transfer data if they filed married – filing separately) 

    2. Complete IRS Form 4506T-EZ, which can be downloaded from www.irs.gov. Note: It may take approximately 10 business days to receive the IRS Tax Return Transcript. 

    3. Call the IRS at 1-800-908-9946. 

  • Provide a Tax Transcript: The IRS system for ordering a transcript is called "Get Transcript." This system allows a person to get a transcript online as a PDF immediately if the tax return for the chosen year has been processed. Visit http://www.irs.gov/Individuals/Get-Transcript for more information and to print a copy of your tax return transcript.

Still confused? No worries. Contact our Financial Aid Office at 864-503-5340 or e-mail finaid@uscupstate.edu.