Scholarships
&
Financial aid
Scholarship Information $$$
There are different ways to obtain $ for college. In addition to saving and planning ahead, there are need based scholarships, merit based scholarships (based on grades and SAT/ACT scores), special talent scholarships, athletic scholarships, scholarships for community service, and scholarships offered by outside organizations that require an application, usually in your senior year of high school. Many colleges provide a financial aid calculator on their website to estimate what the financial aid package will be based on your financial profile. A financial aid package usually includes a combination of grants, scholarships, work study and loans. Contact colleges to obtain information on their merit scholarships and how to apply for them?
HESC: Excelsior Scholarship NYS scholarship based on financial need (usually available in the spring)
HESC: Types of Financial Aid- scholarships, grants, loans
TAP: Tuition Assistance Program: seniors, apply through FAFSA (see below)
HESC STEM Incentive Program: Scholarships for graduating seniors in the top 10% of their class majoring in Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics at a SUNY or CUNY
NY AIMS: Achievement & Investment in Merit Scholarship available to seniors in the top 15% of their class who will be attending a NYS (public or private) college or university
US Dept. of Labor Scholarship search: Search more than 9,500 scholarships, fellowships, grants, and other financial aid award opportunities.
finaid.org: Finaid was established in the fall of 1994 as a public service. It offers sources for student financial aid information, advice and tools
$ for College: financial aid
Based on you and your parent’s financial profile, the college will put together a financial aid package for you if you are admitted to the school and you completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) in your senior year. In addition, some colleges require the CSS Profile along with FAFSA. Usually, the financial aid package comes in the form of a loan, grant, and/or work study. Every college has its own financial aid application deadline. FAFSA and CSS Profile becomes available online in October and many seniors complete it around that time of year.
FAFSA: Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Note: FAFSA is usually available to file in October of senior year. However, due to changes they will make it available to file in December 2023. View additional information about the FAFSA Simplification Act.
Instructional video: how to complete FAFSA
CSS Profile: Required by some private colleges/universities. Complete online in October of senior year
CSS Profile list of participating colleges- see whether your college/university requires the CSS Profile in addition to FAFSA
Comparing award letters: Financial aid package comparison tool.
Financial Aid virtual session: presented by SUNY
Estimate Your Federal Student Aid: estimation tool
College Cost estimator: also see institution specific cost calculators
Financial Aid Advice- HighSchool2College
How to apply for Student Financial Aid FAFSA
Estimate your Aid FAFSA4caster
$ Award Letter Comparison Tool
Financial Aid Advice: HighSchool2College
SUNY Smart Track: financial literacy and planning
AmeriCorps- National service volunteer
Paying back loans: student loan repayment options
HESC Financial Aid power point &
handouts from presentation:
Federal Student Aid at a glance:
How to apply for Federal NYS Aid: fact sheet
STEM Incentive program: science, technology, engineering and math
Excelsior Scholarship: fact sheet
College Scholarships:
Directly from the institution
Some colleges offer merit based scholarship money to recognize a student's achievement or special talent. This includes academic achievement (grades and test scores) as well as talent based achievement such as musical ability, theater, art, and dance. At some colleges, the student needs to submit a separate application and essay (or audition) to apply for this monetary award. At other colleges, applicants are automatically considered for these scholarships when the student submits their regular application. Please view individual college websites or reach out to the college admissions office to learn more about their merit scholarship opportunities and whether or not you need to apply for them. Some scholarships are also available to apply for once the student has matriculated at the university. Many merit scholarships are renewable each year based on specific criteria and guidelines.
Free Scholarship Search websites:
There are scholarship opportunities available with a wide variety of criteria including everything from your college major and GPA to your personal background, financial need and community service. Below are links to a few of the FREE scholarship search tools available. Do NOT use if they charge a fee.
Meritmore.com: provides information about merit $ offered at colleges