1. Obtain a Federal Student Aid ID (FSA ID) from the U.S. Department of Education at studentaid.gov/fsa-id/create-account/launch. Parents of dependent students are also required to apply for a FSA ID.

2. Complete and submit the online Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

For assistance with the FAFSA or to obtain a paper application, please contact the Federal Student Aid  Information Center via telephone (800-433-3243), live chat, or email.

3. New York State Residents ONLY can apply for TAP as part of their online FAFSA application process.

From the FAFSA submission confirmation page, select the link that says “File Your TAP Application Now”. If you exited the FAFSA before selecting this option, you can complete the online TAP application after HESC (NYS Higher Education Services Corporation) receives your FAFSA data (after three business days). HESC will send you an email or postcard notifying you to complete the TAP application online if you did not do so from the FAFSA submission confirmation page.

For assistance in completing your online TAP application or questions regarding your TAP award status, please schedule a call with HESC.

4. High school seniors who are NYS residents and U.S. citizens and intend to pursue a STEM (science, technology, engineering, or mathematics) major should consider applying for the NYS Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Incentive Program scholarship. Please review the details of this scholarship thoroughly on the HESC website.  Although the deadline for applying is not until August, we highly recommend that students apply early (before high school graduation) as your guidance counselor will be required to submit information to support your application. 

5. NYS residents and U.S. citizens who have a combined federal adjusted gross income of $125,000 or less should consider applying for the NYS Excelsior Scholarship. In combination with other student financial aid programs, this program allows students to attend a SUNY or CUNY college tuition-free. Please review the details of this scholarship thoroughly on the HESC website. You can also sign up to receive an email notification when the Excelsior Scholarship application becomes available.  

6. Students interested in applying for the EOP program are required to apply for admission and submit appropriate SUNY EOP financial documentation.

7. Undergraduate students planning to enroll part-time during the fall and/or spring semester(s) who are also eligible for TAP can apply for a New York State Aid for Part-Time Study (APTS) grant by submitting the application to the Financial Aid Office.

8. Undergraduate or graduate students planning to enroll during the summer semester must submit a summer financial aid application to the Financial Aid Office.

9. The SUNY Poly Financial Aid Office processes financial aid requests on an on-going basis.  New students will receive their award letter in the mail.  Continuing students will receive an email notifying them that their financial aid award information is available in Banner Web Self-Service.

10. If there are special circumstances which you believe the Financial Aid Office should consider when determining your financial aid eligibility, please submit our special circumstances form. This paperwork should be submitted to our office as soon as possible after completing the FAFSA.

Examples of special circumstances include loss of employment, loss of taxable/untaxable income (i.e., child support, social security, alimony, worker’s compensation), legal separation or divorce, death of a spouse, extraordinary medical/dental expenses.

11. Should a student wish to authorize a third party (i.e., parent, spouse) to speak with the Financial Aid Office on their behalf, a signed FERPA Agreement must be on file. A new form must be completed each academic year to keep this authorization in effect.

12. Monitor your email. Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), HESC (TAP), and/or the SUNY Poly Financial Aid Office may contact you with important information and questions regarding your financial aid application. Please check your email daily so that you can respond to communications in a timely manner and avoid processing delays.

After a student is issued a SUNY Poly email, it will become the official email address used by the Financial Aid Office for all correspondence. Financial aid inquiries/requests to our office will only be accepted from a student’s official SUNY Poly email.