Financial Aid is a critical piece of the college selection process because it can help a family afford higher education for their child. There are many types of financial aid that a student can receive and the process can be confusing.
Where to begin:
The Free Application For Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is where every family who receives federal and state aid must begin. Once a family fills out the forms, the federal government does an analysis and establishes an Estimated Family Contribution or EFC. The EFC is the number that college financial aid offices use to determine what kind of aid students are eligible for and can receive.
How to fill out the FAFSA:
The FAFSA forms are now available October 1 of each year. To receive financial aid this form needs to be completed each year a student attends college. It is important that you meet the deadlines for the colleges that a student is applying to or attends. The earlier the FAFSA is complete, the better chances a student may have at securing different kinds of financial aid.
Before you actually begin filing out the FAFSA form you need to register for a FSA ID. Students, parents, and borrowers are required to use an FSA ID, made up of a username and password, to access certain U.S. Department of Education websites. Your FSA ID is used to confirm your identity when accessing your financial aid information and electronically signing your federal student aid documents. You can create your FSA ID here: https://fsaid.ed.gov/npas/index.htm
The FAFSA form itself can be accessed at: www.fafsa.ed.gov
If it is prior to October 1 and you are interested in learning what your Estimated Family Contribution will be, the Federal Government has created a very useful website that allows you to calculate your EFC and federal student aid eligibility. This details how much financial aid your family is eligible to receive from the federal and state government. Access the FAFSA4caster here.
TAP: Tuition Assistance Program for NY State Residence
Once the FAFSA form has been submitted, an option will appear to fill out the NY State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) form. Although you can apply for this state aid separately, it is very convenient to do it at the end of the FAFSA form because information that you have already filled out on the FAFSA will appear in the TAP form automatically. Take a few more minutes to apply for TAP off the FAFSA, it makes it faster and easier to apply!
If you do not use the TAP link from the FAFSA confirmation page, you may go to the TAP application on the web at www.tapweb.org
Once the FAFSA and TAP forms are completed and sent in, the colleges will use the information from these forms to create a financial aid award package. It is important to be in touch with the colleges to ensure that they have all the information they need.
*** Important: Many private colleges require additional forms for financial aid consideration. Please check the college websites for this requirement.***
At no time should a student have to pay money to file for financial aid or for scholarships. The sites that charge a fee are usually a scam, so beware!
For further explanation of the financial aid process, you can visit the Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC).
The financial aid process can be a little daunting. Students and parents are always welcome to come to the Guidance Office with questions or to learn how to handle special circumstances.
Where to begin:
The Free Application For Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is where every family who receives federal and state aid must begin. Once a family fills out the forms, the federal government does an analysis and establishes an Estimated Family Contribution or EFC. The EFC is the number that college financial aid offices use to determine what kind of aid students are eligible for and can receive.
How to fill out the FAFSA:
The FAFSA forms are now available October 1 of each year. To receive financial aid this form needs to be completed each year a student attends college. It is important that you meet the deadlines for the colleges that a student is applying to or attends. The earlier the FAFSA is complete, the better chances a student may have at securing different kinds of financial aid.
Before you actually begin filing out the FAFSA form you need to register for a FSA ID. Students, parents, and borrowers are required to use an FSA ID, made up of a username and password, to access certain U.S. Department of Education websites. Your FSA ID is used to confirm your identity when accessing your financial aid information and electronically signing your federal student aid documents. You can create your FSA ID here: https://fsaid.ed.gov/npas/index.htm
The FAFSA form itself can be accessed at: www.fafsa.ed.gov
If it is prior to October 1 and you are interested in learning what your Estimated Family Contribution will be, the Federal Government has created a very useful website that allows you to calculate your EFC and federal student aid eligibility. This details how much financial aid your family is eligible to receive from the federal and state government. Access the FAFSA4caster here.
TAP: Tuition Assistance Program for NY State Residence
Once the FAFSA form has been submitted, an option will appear to fill out the NY State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) form. Although you can apply for this state aid separately, it is very convenient to do it at the end of the FAFSA form because information that you have already filled out on the FAFSA will appear in the TAP form automatically. Take a few more minutes to apply for TAP off the FAFSA, it makes it faster and easier to apply!
If you do not use the TAP link from the FAFSA confirmation page, you may go to the TAP application on the web at www.tapweb.org
Once the FAFSA and TAP forms are completed and sent in, the colleges will use the information from these forms to create a financial aid award package. It is important to be in touch with the colleges to ensure that they have all the information they need.
*** Important: Many private colleges require additional forms for financial aid consideration. Please check the college websites for this requirement.***
At no time should a student have to pay money to file for financial aid or for scholarships. The sites that charge a fee are usually a scam, so beware!
For further explanation of the financial aid process, you can visit the Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC).
The financial aid process can be a little daunting. Students and parents are always welcome to come to the Guidance Office with questions or to learn how to handle special circumstances.