Financial Aid

Financial aid comes primarily from the Federal and State Governments and your college to help families pay for college. Aid includes grants, work study, loans, scholarships, and other special awards. It can also come from private organizations, clubs and associations. It is important to apply early and understand different financial aid programs to get the most assistance in paying for a college education.

This site will help guide you through the application process and provide useful links. If you are applying to more than one college, you will be able to compare award letters and determine which college is the most affordable while also providing students with a quality education. Your college costs are more than just tuition:

Tuition
Room and Board
Books
Fees
Supplies
Transportation
Personal Living Expenses

HESC's interactive Financial Aid Award Packages Comparison Tool can help you determine the "bottom line" for each college to which you've applied and received a financial aid award offer.

Financial Aid Workshop 2024

Financial Aid Workshop Powerpoint
This presentation was made in November 2024 by high school counselors Marcy Tyler and Jamie DeRusso.

There are FAFSA completion workshops and FAFSA workshops for people to help families with the financial aid application and award process - https://www.hesc.ny.gov/get-help/find-event/fafsatap-completion-events/. Completion workshops will walk parents and students through applications so you will be ready to submit at the end of the session.

What Will College Cost Me and My Family?

Students who want to estimate what it would cost to attend a specific college, there are tools out there to help estimate the cost of college and will estimate out-of- pocket costs for the family. Each college website MUST have a "Net Price Calculator" to help students estimate college expenses and an estimate of the family contribution.

SUNY Net Price Calculator

This Net Price Calculator will provide you and your family with an early estimate of the financial aid for which you might qualify. Based on the information you provide regarding your family's financial situation and your education preferences, the calculator will return a net price. That price reflects your estimated costs of attending SUNY as a freshman or transfer student less your estimated financial aid.

2 students in hallway posing for picture

Financial Aid Websites

www.hesc.ny.gov https://financialaidtoolkit.ed.gov/tk/ https://collegecost.ed.gov https://collegescorecard.ed.gov https://studentaid.gov/ https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/pay-for-college https://www.fastweb.com/

Federal Financial Aid Online

The rest of this page will guide you through applying for financial aid online. It is easier, faster, and more accurate.

Step 1

Apply for a FSA ID.
FSA ID Information

Step 2

Fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA. Applying on-line is faster and easier than filing the paper form! Don't forget to sign your FAFSA with your FSA!
FAFSA

After completing the FAFSA, as residents of New York State, you will then be linked to the TAP-on-the-web application for New York State Aid. The TAP application will be pre-filled with information from your FAFSA. Complete this application to be considered for NYS financial aid. This financial aid amount will only awarded if you attend a college or university in New York State.

Step 3

You will receive your Student Aid Report, or SAR, within about 5 days via email. If you did not submit an email address you will receive a paper copy within about 2 weeks of filing your FAFSA on-line.

You can check the status of your SAR at any time by returning to the FAFSA link above.

When you receive your SAR, make sure you double check your information. Compare the figures with your tax returns and make any necessary corrections.