With the release of the 2025-2026 FAFSA, we thought it a good time to remind you all about the basic steps for applying for financial aid in case you have not already done so. Always consult the financial aid pages of the colleges to which you'll apply for more details, and to make sure your meet each college’s financial aid deadline. It is also a good idea to review the webinar slides and financial aid highlights pdfs shared with you back in early October through the Document Resources section of your Naviance account.
***BASIC STEPS AND LINKS TO APPLY FOR FINANCIAL AID***
-Gather important documents (Federal Tax Return form 1040, W2s, bank statements, etc.), student and parent social security numbers, and alien registration # (if applicable)
-Complete Collegeboard’s 2025-2026 CSS Profile (if applicable). Many selective private colleges and a few flagship public universities use the CSS, but, CUNY and SUNY campuses do not. If you completed this already for any EA/ED colleges, remember to add any of your RD colleges before their respective financial aid deadlines.
-Upload any required financial documents for CSS Profile colleges via IDOC or the method articulated by the colleges to which you're applying (if requested). Always check your email and college portals and follow directions for sharing your tax documents.
- if applicable, complete any required institutional financial aid forms(Princeton, UPenn, etc.)
-Get your FSA IDs (one for at least one parent, AND one for the student) so you can file the FAFSA
-Complete the 2025-2026 FAFSA. Contributing parents must look for an email from FAFSA and complete their portion of their child’s FAFSA within 45 days
- if financially eligible, apply for New York State’s TAP.
NEED HANDS-ON HELP COMPLETING YOUR FAFSA? Attend a free FAFSA completion workshop offered by HESC (NY State):
https://startheregetthere.ny.gov/events
Please also refer to this comprehensive guide for more financial aid information and other useful resources
***A small number of our students may be ineligible to file the FAFSA due to their immigration status. However, these students can still file the CSS Profile, and, can qualify for NY state aid like TAP and Excelsior through the The New York State Dream Act . These awards can be worth over $5665 per year in grant aid. Students can apply here: https://www.hesc.ny.gov/dream/
-Once you know where you are going to college (that may well not be until May, and that's fine), log in to your account at www.hesc.ny.gov and make sure that your TAP application reflects the school that you will attend in the fall (NY State only). You may also use this site to apply for the New York State Excelsior Scholarship in the spring of 2025
If you are looking for external scholarships, remember:
-check out the New Visions scholarship list
-students should check each of Stuy’s weekly updates this year, as we’ll continue to include information about a host of other specific scholarship opportunities throughout the senior year through these weekly updates.
- several scholarship search tools are available in each students' Naviance account within the "Colleges" tab under "Scholarships & Money".
