How to apply for Financial Aid: 2024-2025

The Office of Financial Aid will determine your eligibility for the various types of aid available by reviewing the data you submitted on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Most students who demonstrate need will receive some type of assistance. Grants, scholarships and low interest loans are usually restricted to students who meet specific financial eligibility requirements. Each financial aid program has different criteria for determining eligibility. Therefore, depending upon your particular circumstances, you may be eligible for the maximum award for one program, but not be eligible at all for aid from another.

We suggest that you follow these general steps in applying for aid to be sure that you are considered for as many sources of aid as possible:

It all starts with FAFSA

Check out types of aid and apply if eligible

Loans
Scholarships
Outside Scholarships and Fellowships

Review award letter on Banner

Work out a budget
Accept what aid you need
If anything changes you can fill out a loan adjustment form

Submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for 2024-25. This will allow you to be considered for all the types of aid that are offered by SUNY Downstate. There are delays in processing FAFSA applications due to the FAFSA Simplication ACT passed by congress in 2020. More information can be found: What is the FAFSA Simplification Act? | Federal Student Aid
- FAFSA School Code: 002839
- If this is your first time, you will need a United States Department of Education FSA ID
- If you are a NYS resident and an undegraduate student File HESC NYS TAP Grant Here
  - TAP code: 4886 (Undergraduates only)
After this you will receive your award letter via your Downstate email address.
- Steps to Accept, Adjust or Cancel Your Award Letter
  - Financial Aid Self Service
    - Log into Banner using your user ID and password
    - Select the “Financial Aid” menu
    - Select “Award“
    - Select “Award for Aid Year”
    - Select “Aid Year”
    - Select "Accept Award Offer" to accept, adjust or decline your Financial Aid Offer
Complete Entrance counseling and sign Master Promissory note.

Please Note: Most Graduate and Medical students will receive only Federal Direct Loans which students may borrow to assist with their educational costs. SUNY Downstate Financial Aid Office does not have scholarships for any of the Undergraduate Programs offered. Some limited institutional grants are available for disadvantaged students as well as for past EOP students. For additional resources please visit Types of Assistance.

Minimum Credit Requirements for Eligibility

Undergraduate	Graduate
Must register for 6 or more credits each semester to receive aid	Must have 5 or more credits to receive loans
Must be registered for 3 or more credits to meet the Pell Grant eligibility	Must have 9 or more credits to receive grants
Must have 12 or more credits per semester to be considered full-time for aid purposes

EOP/HEOP/SEEK Students

There are limited institutional grants for current and prior Educational Opportunity Grant (EOP), Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP), and Search for Education, Elevation, & Knowledge (SEEK) students in SUNY Downstate programs.

How the FAFSA will determine your eligibility

Through the submission of the FAFSA, your eligibility must be confirmed through federal database matches with:

Social Security Administration (the match verifies social security number, name, date of birth and citizenship status)
Immigration and Naturalization Services (reports on non-citizen eligibility for aid)
Selective Service Administration (reports on compliance to selective service registration requirement for males)
National Student Loan Database System (reports students with a federal loan default or federal grant repayment requirement who are not eligible for further federal aid at any school until the default or repayment is cleared).

You must be officially admitted and matriculated in a program leading to an undergraduate or graduate degree (non-matriculated students are not eligible) to be eligible for financial aid.

If you wish to be considered for Institutional scholarships and/or grants, you must include your parent's asset and income information on the Scholarship Universe Institutional Application even if you are "independent". Please contact the Financial Aid Office for more details.

Check to see if there are any private sources of financial aid that may be available to you. We also have an Outside Scholarship list.

Other requirements may apply — you will be notified by the Financial Aid Office if any apply to you.

Don't Forget! Every semester all students MUST clear their tuition bill through the Bursar.