More than 85% of students receive some form of financial aid through SUNY Poly and all students are encouraged to apply for assistance. Aid comes in a variety of forms including grants, scholarships, loans and work-study. Aid eligibility varies by student type as follows:
- View the basic eligibility requirements for federal financial aid.
- Students may qualify for assistance under the New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) if they meet eligibility criteria.
To be eligible for financial aid (student loans, grants, and/or work-study) during the academic year, undergraduate students must meet the following criteria:
- Be matriculated into a degree program leading to a bachelor’s degree
- Be enrolled in at least 3 credit hours each semester for Federal Pell Grant eligibility
- Be enrolled in at least 6 credit hours each semester for Federal Direct Student Loan (Subsidized and Unsubsidized) eligibility
- Be enrolled in at least 12 credit hours each semester for state aid program eligibility
(Note: courses that students previously passed and are now repeating cannot be counted toward the required 12 credit hours) - Be enrolled in courses that are required for the degree program
- Meet satisfactory academic progress requirements
Undergraduate students are considered to be full-time when enrolled in 12 or more credit hours each semester (fall and spring). Enrollment in 3 to 11 credit hours each semester is considered part-time. Students enrolled in 2 credit hours or less each semester are not eligible for financial aid (federal or state).
Students who intend to enroll for the summer session should review the financial aid eligibility requirements on our Summer Financial Aid webpage.
In addition to filing the FAFSA, undergraduate students who are enrolled part-time (from 3 to 11 credit hours in a semester) may be asked to complete our Application for Part-Time Study (APTS) as part of their financial aid application.
To be eligible for financial aid (federal direct student loans, federal direct Graduate PLUS loans) during the academic year, graduate students must meet the following criteria:
- Be matriculated into a degree program leading to a master’s degree or doctoral degree
- Be enrolled in at least 5 credit hours each semester for federal aid program eligibility
- Be enrolled in courses that are required for the degree program
- Meet satisfactory academic progress requirements
Graduate students are considered to be full-time when enrolled in 9 or more credit hours each semester. Enrollment in 5 to 8 credit hours each semester is considered part-time. Students enrolled in 4 credit hours or less each semester are not eligible for financial aid. Students who intend to enroll for the summer session should review the financial aid eligibility requirements on our Summer Financial Aid webpage.
International students (undergraduate and graduate) are ineligible for federal and state financial aid. Limited institutional aid in the form of assistantships and fellowships may be available for graduate students from the Graduate Admissions Office. Please contact Graduate Admissions directly to inquire about these opportunities.
International students are encouraged to seek private funding to help meet their educational expenses while studying at SUNY Poly. Additional information is available from the following websites:
Non-matriculated students are not eligible for federal and state financial aid, but may apply for a private loan through a lender of their choice.
