SUNY Poly awards several scholarships each year to our most outstanding and deserving students. Scholarships vary in amount and benefit students in many ways. Scholarships provide financial aid to students to help pursue their educational goals.

• First-Year Student Merit-Based Scholarships
• Transfer Student Merit-Based Scholarships
• Wolfspeed Scholarship
• NYS STEM Incentive Program*
• NYS Excelsior Scholarship*

Those programs designated with an asterisk (*) are only available to residents of New York State.

SUNY Poly offers a limited number of scholarships to graduate students each semester. Learn more about domestic graduate student scholarship options.
International graduate applicants are considered for various, merit-based scholarship awards. Awards are offered at varying levels and are based on a holistic review of the student’s application. The merit-based scholarships are partial tuition scholarships and applied to the total cost of two semesters of full-time study.

Federal Work-Study provides part-time jobs for undergraduate and graduate students with financial need. The program encourages community service work and work related to your field of study. To receive funds, you’ll need to be awarded work-study through your Financial Aid Plan and secure a job. The funds you earn are paid directly to you.

The Pell Grant is the largest federal grant program offered to undergraduates and is designed to assist students from low-income households. A Federal Pell Grant, unlike a loan, does not have to be repaid, except under certain circumstances. To qualify for a Pell Grant, a student must demonstrate financial need through the Free Application for Federal Student Financial Aid (FAFSA®) form.

The Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) provides need-based grants to help eligible New York State residents meet tuition expenses. Awards range start at $500 per year and range up to full tuition. Your award amount is dependent on the student’s (and parents’ or spouse’s, if applicable) New York State net taxable income. The deadline to apply for TAP is June 30 of the academic year you are seeking aid.

For more information, visit Aid for Part-Time Study 
 

The Foster Youth College Success Initiative (FYCSI) helps students from foster backgrounds succeed in college with generous financial aid and other supports. Learn more about the FYCSI.

Direct Subsidized Loans and Direct Unsubsidized Loans are federal student loans offered by the U.S. Department of Education (ED) to help eligible students cover the cost of higher education at a four-year college or university, community college, or trade, career, or technical school. Direct Subsidized Loans are available to undergraduate students with financial need. Learn more about Federal Direct Student Loans.

Direct PLUS loans can help pay for education expenses not covered by other financial aid. The U.S. Department of Education makes Direct PLUS Loans to eligible parents through schools participating in the Direct Loan Program. To be eligible for a Parent PLUS loan, the applicant must be the biological or adoptive parent (or in some cases, the stepparent) of a dependent undergraduate student enrolled at least half-time at an eligible school, not have an adverse credit history (unless you meet certain additional requirements), and meet the general eligibility requirements for federal student aid. Learn more about Federal Direct Parent PLUS Loans. 

The U.S. Department of Education makes Direct PLUS Loans to eligible graduate or professional students through schools participating in the Direct Loan Program. Direct PLUS Loans are federal loans that graduate students can use to help pay for college or career school. Learn more about Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loans. 

Eligible students enrolling in summer classes who are interested in using financial aid to cover part of their costs may elect to apply for Summer Financial Aid.

To request federal and/or state financial aid for the summer semester, eligible students must meet these criteria in order to be considered for financial aid:

1. Undergraduate students must be enrolled:
   1. In at least 3 credits hours to be considered for Federal Pell Grant
   2. In at least 6 or more credits hours to be considered for Federal Direct Student Loans (Subsidized and/or Unsubsidized) and/or the New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP)
2. Graduate students must be enrolled:
   1. In at least 5 or more credits hours to be considered for Federal Direct Unsubsidized Student Loan
3. Submit the application materials listed on our “Apply for + Maintain Financial Aid” webpage
4. Submit the Summer Financial Aid Application available on our "Forms" webpage Complete financial aid applications must be submitted to the Financial Aid Office on or before April 15
5. Students must have a complete financial aid application on file with the Financial Aid Office before their summer financial aid eligibility can be determined. This includes (but is not limited to) all documents required for those students selected for verification.
6. Note that summer financial aid eligibility may be initially determined before spring semester final grades are posted by the Registrar's Office. If after the completion of spring semester the student is not making satisfactory academic progress, the Financial Aid Office reserves the right to cancel all previously offered summer financial aid.

Students will be notified via their SUNY Poly email when their financial aid eligibility has been determined. Students should access their Banner Web Self Service account to review the financial aid they have been offered as no paper award letter will be mailed. Please visit our instructions webpage on required actions to accept or decline the aid offered to you.

It is important to keep in mind that receiving financial aid in the summer will impact the type/amount of aid that you receive for the following fall and spring semesters. First, only federal and state financial aid is available for the summer. Institutional aid is unavailable for the summer semester. Second, federal and state aid received in the summer will decrease the amount of federal and state aid available to you in the fall and spring semesters. It will be important that you plan for this as it pertains to your ability to meet your fall and spring financial obligations (bill) with the college.

Any student enrolling in summer semester classes and interested in using financial aid to cover part of their costs must submit the appropriate FAFSA and the Summer Financial Aid Application.

Submit the Summer Financial Aid Application