How to Apply

To apply for Federal financial aid, from the United States government, a student must file a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid).

City College of New York Federal Code - 002688

The FAFSA is used to apply for the following federal financial aid programs:

• Federal Pell Grant
• Federal Work-Study
• William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan
• Federal SEOG (Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant)
• Federal TEACH grant

Note:

• Students applying for the NY State SEEK program must also file a FAFSA. Also, the FAFSA may be required in order to qualify for certain scholarships.
• Continuing students can access their federal grant (Pell) and student loan history via National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) by using their FSA ID in order to plan accordingly for the future.

There are two basic ways to file a FAFSA

1. Submit a FAFSA via the Internet, at www.studentaid.gov 

• This is the easiest and quickest way to submit a FAFSA by using "prior-prior year" income information (two years in the past) read more.
• Students and parents must obtain an "FSA ID" in order to complete and electronically sign a FAFSA.
• Remember to include CCNY's Federal code 002688 on the FAFSA applcation.
• Use of the IRS Data Retrieval Tool is preferred to easily import your tax information directly to the FAFSA.
• In approximately one week, students will receive an email, with a link, to view their FAFSA results, this is called the Student Aid Report (SAR).

2. Students who want to file a paper FAFSA by mail must print the application from Print a FAFSA

• Students will receive a SAR in the mail in approximately three weeks.

To apply for TAP (Tuition Assistance Program), or APTS (Aid for Part-time Study), which is financial aid from New York State, a student must file a separate application.

How to apply for TAP

1. Complete a FAFSA at: www.studentaid.ed.gov and include at least one college located in New York State.
2. After completing the FAFSA, click on the link provided to be transferred to the NYS HESC website or go to HESC
3. Include CCNY college code: 1411 (Undergraduate only) on the TAP application.
4. Follow the instructions to create or use your HESC PIN to complete your application online.
5. In approximately ten business days, you will receive an email with instructions on how to check on the status of your TAP application.

Note:

• If you have graduated from a high school outside the United States, you must meet the "Ability to Benefit" requirement by the deadline for each semester. For more details, contact the Evaluation and Testing Office.
• Effective starting from the 2010-11 academic year, with the exception of veterans, graduate students can no longer receive TAP.
• Students (and the parents of dependent students) must be legal New York State residents and must have resided in New York State at least twelve (12) continuous months prior to the semester of their award.

All application processing and correction requirements must be completed before a TAP and/or Pell Grant can be used toward their tuition bill. Students with confirmed Federal Pell Grants will receive Pell book advances at the beginning of the Fall and Spring semesters.

For more details regarding TAP/APTS, additional types of New York State financial aid and eligibility requirements go to: New York State Higher Education Services Corporation.

Excelsior Scholarship:

New York State residents may apply for the Excelsior Scholarship. Learn more

• Wait 3-5 business days after submitting a FAFSA to receive your Student Aid Report (SAR) via email.
• Remember to include the CCNY Federal School Code (002688) on FAFSA and NY State Code (1411) on the TAP applications.
• Follow up and make corrections on your FAFSA and/or TAP applications if you need to. Failure to follow up may result in a delayed disbursement of financial aid funds.
• Always review your CUNYfirst "To Do List: located under your “Task and Holds"” to make sure you do not have any unresolved items. 
• Verification documents must be sent through student forms  located in "Task and Holds"
• PLUS Loan credit check and additional loan request forms are available on CCNY Financial aid website.  Submission of completed loan request are sent to our CCNY secure portal
• Check your CCNY (Citymail) email account often for important financial aid information.

The SAR is a report that summarizes the FAFSA information and indicates a student's Student Aid Index (SAI). The SAI determines the amount of Federal Pell grant funds a student may qualify for. It is also used to determine eligibility for other "need based" federal programs, such as Work-Study, SEOG, and Subsidized Direct Loans. Every SAR includes a "Comments" page. It is important for a student to read this section completely to see if there are any documents that must be submitted to the Financial Aid Office. Required documents should be submitted as soon as possible to avoid processing delays. Documents submitted must be submitted electronically through "Student Forms" student portal for uploading electronic documents. If one of the comments on a student's SAR indicates that they have been selected for "Verification", no federal aid will be disbursed until the process is completed. Verification forms can be found in your "Student Forms".

Again, it is important to upload documents in a timely fashion so that any necessary corrections to the FAFSA can be made. A delay in submitting documents may cause a delay in the disbursement of financial aid funds. Students who do not receive their SAR as expected should call 800-4-FEDAID, (800-433-3243), to check on the status of their FAFSA.

FAFSA Simplification

The FAFSA Simplification Act has recently been passed by Congress to streamline the financial aid process for students and families. Among other key changes this legislation will reduce the total number of questions students see when filing the FAFSA, attempts to clarify the questions that will be asked, and will aim to increase Federal Pell Grant eligibility. While in some cases the FAFSA simplification could increase some students’ financial aid eligibility, others may see a decrease in aid. Key changes that can impact the application process and resulting financial aid offers for students are outlined in the FAQs below.

What is FAFSA simplification?