Below is a reminder 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. Make sure to also 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.
If you are looking for external scholarships, revisit the email sent to you from our office on September 18 and read the Stuy weekly updates throughout the rest of the school year
***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 2024-2025 CSS Profile (only if applicable) at www.collegeboard.org. If you completed this already for any EA/ED colleges, remember to add any of your RD colleges before their respective financial aid deadlines. View which colleges require the CSS through the links below:
https://profile.collegeboard.org/profile/ppi/participatinginstitutions.aspx
https://blog.collegeboard.org/parents-guide-css-profile
-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 a parent, AND one for the student) so you can file the FAFSA
https://studentaid.gov/fsa-id/create-account/launch
-Complete the 2024-2025 FAFSA. Keep in mind that this form is different than in the past. And, processing delays and limited functionality have been commonplace since the soft-launch of the form at the end of December. But, the form should improve as the weeks progress, so try to complete the FAFSA as soon as is feasible. If it isn't working, try back again in a few days. Contributing parents must look for an email from FAFSA and complete their portion of their child’s FAFSA within 45 days or the student’s FAFSA will be deleted
https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa
- if financially eligible, apply for New York State’s TAP. TAP is now a stand- alone application; you need not have completed your FAFSA to apply to TAP: NYS Student Aid Payment Application
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
**Please note that 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 $5000 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 2024
We hope this helps! Please let your assigned college counselor know if you have any questions. You can always contact college financial aid offices as well.
