Stephen F Austin State University

Texas high-schoolers in the top 6% of their graduating class get automatic admission to UT Austin (not necessarily to a specific major).

Who it helps: Texas residents at any in-state public or accredited private high school who can sustain top-6% class rank through the end of junior year.

How to use: Confirm your rank with your school counselor by the end of junior year. Apply to UT Austin via ApplyTexas by the December 1 priority deadline. Indicate intended major; have a backup major ready in case your first choice is full. Check your portal status under Bealert.

Texas top 10% gets automatic admission to most other Texas public universities (not UT Austin, which uses a tighter threshold).

Who it helps: Texas residents in the top 10% of their class who didn't make UT Austin's tighter cutoff but want a flagship-level state school.

How to use: Apply via ApplyTexas by each school's priority deadline. Indicate auto-admit status; school will verify with your transcript.

At many public universities, applying by the EA deadline (Nov 1) instead of regular (Feb 1) decides whether you're considered for the top merit awards.

Who it helps: Students with their applications ready by November of senior year, especially those targeting merit-rich publics.

How to use: List each target school's EA deadline (commonly Nov 1, sometimes Oct 15 or Dec 1). Submit complete applications + test scores by then. Confirm merit-scholarship deadlines separately — some require a different priority date or supplemental essay.

Need-based grant for Texas residents attending Texas public universities — up to in-state tuition + mandatory fees.

Who it helps: Texas residents with EFC under $5,000-$6,000 attending a Texas public university. Priority given to first-time freshmen within 16 months of high school graduation.

How to use: File FAFSA or TASFA by the school's priority deadline. The school awards automatically if you qualify.

Most schools award state and institutional aid first-come-first-served from a fixed pool. Filing FAFSA in October beats filing in February by thousands.

Who it helps: Every student applying for need-based aid, but especially families relying on state grants or institutional aid.

How to use: Set a calendar reminder for the FAFSA opening date (currently Oct 1 most years; Dec 1 in the 2024-25 transition year). Use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to auto-fill tax info. Submit even if you have to estimate; corrections are easy.

Most selective private colleges use the CSS Profile in addition to FAFSA. It costs $25 + $16/school and reaches deeper into family finances than FAFSA does.

Who it helps: Any student applying to a private 4-year with significant institutional aid needs.

How to use: Check the CSS Profile school list for each of your target colleges. Open the app at cssprofile.collegeboard.org as soon as it opens (early Oct). Submit ahead of each school's earliest priority date — often before the FAFSA deadline.