Financial Aid

Grants are typically based on the students level of need. This means, taking into account the student and their family or guardians financial status. Grants can be awarded by a school, state, local agencies, or private foundations. Grants do NOT need to be paid back and can be highly competitive.

The most common grants you may across at the Federal level are:

• Federal PELL Grant
  • This is typically awarded to undergraduate students in a 2- or 4-year college program
  • The student cannot already have a bachelors, graduate, or professional degree
  • There must be exceptional financial need
  • Must apply for the FAFSA annually
  • Does not need to be paid back
  • Maximum amount for the 2026-27 school year: $7,395
• Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
  • For undergraduate students with exceptional financial need
  • Administered directly by the financial aid office at participating schools
  • Must apply for the FAFSA annually
  • Award amount ranges: $100-$4,000

The most common grants you may across in New York State are:

• Tuition Assistance Program (TAP)
  • Available for students attending full-time, part-time, and in non-degree workforce credential programs
  • Must be a NYS legal resident for 12 continuous months BEFORE enrolling
  • Income based, must apply which can be done through FAFSA annually
  • Does not have to be paid back
  • Receive up to $5,665 annually
• Teacher Education Assitance for College and Higher Education Grant (TEACH)
  • Must complete the FAFSA
  • Meet basic eligibility for the FSA programs
  • Be enrolled in a TEACH eligible program at a school that participates in the TEACH program
  • Must meet certain academic achievement requirements
  • Must agree to a teaching service obligation as a condition for receiving the grant
  • Lifetime undergraduate maximum: $16,000

Scholarships are awarded to students based on merit (academic performance), athletics, and/or need. Scholarships are largely application based and if won, do not need to be paid back.

Scholarships are offered at the school, town, county, region, state, and national level. 

The 2 most common New York State scholarships that you may come across are:

Excelsior Scholarship Program:

• Allows students from families that earn $125,000 or less per year to attend a state-operated SUNY or CUNY school tuition free
• Must be enrolled full time = 12 credits/ semester
• Complete at least 30 credits/ year
• Live and work in NYS for a length of time equivilent to the number of years you received the scholarship or it will revert into a loan

Enhanced Tuition Award (ETA):

• Allows students from families that earn $125,000 or less per year to receive up to $6,000 towards tuition cost at participating NYS private colleges
• Must be enrolled full time = 12 credits/ semester
• Complete at least 30 credits/ year
• Live and work in NYS for a length of time equivilent to the number of years you received the scholarship or it will revet into a loan

Scholarships recieved by the NHS Counseling Office will be posted to the “Scholarship” section of the website as they are recieved.

Work study is part-time employment that allows a student to earn money to pay for their tuition.

Eligibility for work study is based on the student financial need and is typically determined through completion of the FAFSA.

Loans are borrowed money that must be paid back.

There are 4 main types of loans:

• Direct Subsidized:
  • Ungrad students with demonstrated financial need
  • Amount determined by your school
  • US Dept of Ed pays interest (6.52%) while you’re at least a part time student, in your grace period, or during deferment
• Direct Unsubsidized:
  • Undergrad, grad, and professional students
  • Amount determined by your school based on cost of attendance and other financial aid
  • You are responsible for interest (6.39%) at all times
• Direct PLUS:
  • Cannot have adverse credit history
  • Maximum amount is cost of attendance (determined by school) minus any other financial aid
  • Parent PLUS
  • Grad PLUS: specifically for graduate school
• Private:
  • Through a bank, credit union or state based/affiliated organization- terms set by lender

The FAFSA is the only way to gain access to financial support from the federal, state, and school level to help pay for college or career school.

This includes access to grants, scholarships, loans, and work study.

The FAFSA for the 2027-28 academic year becomes available on October 1^st, 2026.

It is better to complete the FAFSA sooner rather than later as some financial aid money is first-come, first-serve and can run out quickly.

Some colleges/universities have specific deadlines for when they require their students to have completed and submitted their FAFSA. Please make sure to be aware of these dates and check with your institutions fiancial aid office with questions.

The final federal deadline to complete the 2027-28 FAFSA application is June 30^th, 2028.

NO!

The FAFSA is managed by the U.S. Department of Education and is FREE to fill out.

If the site you are on asks you to pay to fill out the FAFSA, you are on the wrong website.

Remeber, the FAFSA is an online form.

It can be accessed only through the Federal Student Aid website.

It is always a great idea to gather the documents and information you will need prior to sitting down to complete the FAFSA.

According to Federal Student Aid, information or documents you might need includes:

• Tax returns
• Records of child support recieved
• Current savings and checking accounts balances
• Current amount of cash if greater than $1,000
• The value of any debt owed on non-retirement investments, businesses, and/or farms

FAFSA tax income source is "prior-prior", meaning taxes used for the year of college is always two years prior.

Example:  Student entering college in the fall of 202 will use federal taxes from 2025 (prior-prior). 

After navigating the the Federal Student Aid website, you will first need to create an account.

Once your account is created, to start your online FAFSA form you will need to do the following:

1. Select “Start a New Form”
2. Select the appropriate FAFSA form you want to complete (i.e. what school year)
3. Log in using your StudentAid.gov account username and password
4. Select “Student” (If a parent/guardian wants to start their dependent child’s FAFSA form, they should select the “Parent” option)