Frequently Asked Questions

• Federal Grants
• Federal Work Study
• New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP)
• Federal Direct Loan

To apply for both FAFSA and TAP, follow the instructions

There are a variety of scholarships available to students. Please search https://studentaid.gov/understand-aid/types/scholarships for more information. We also have a scholarship and residency office

Please visit www.citytech.cuny.edu/bursar/resources.aspx for more information on how you can enroll in the Nelnet Tuition Payment Plan

Yes. The FAFSA is available every October 1^st of the academic year. City Tech has an early priority deadline of March 31^st.

Financial aid is offered in the winter. Please stop by or visit a financial aid counselor on ZOOM for more information.

You may check your “Pending Aid” in CunyFirst. For more information on how to View your Award on CunyFirst please review www.citytech.cuny.edu/financial-aid/docs/announcements/Guide_to_CUNYFirst%202020_FINAL.pdf

You may have one or more outstanding requirements on your “To Do” list on CunyFirst. Please visit www.citytech.cuny.edu/financial-aid/docs/announcements/Guide_to_CUNYFirst%202020_FINAL.pdf and read the section on Viewing your “To Do” list and submit your documentation.

You may check the status of your TAP on Cunyfirst. Your TAP is only approved once it goes from “Estimated” to “Initiated”. If you still encounter that your TAP reflects “estimated” please ensure you have the correct school code on your TAP application. The TAP school code is 1405. If you have further questions about TAP please reach out to TAPinfo@citytech.cuny.edu

Once you submit your FAFSA you may or may not be selected for a process called verification. It is a random process where 1 out of every 3 students are selected to be verified. It is a process your school uses to confirm the data you reported on your FAFSA is accurate. If you’re selected for verification, your school will request additional documentation that supports the information you reported. It is important you follow up with our office with the appropriate documentation.

You are only eligible for a refund if you have enough financial aid to cover your full tuition and fees and have left over funds remaining.

A disbursement is when your financial aid is transferred to Student Financial Services to pay your bill. A refund is any aid that exceeds your bill and is released to you.

The Book Advance payment is to be used for your books, supplies, or other educational related items. Please click here for more information.

CUNY uses the Student Forms Portal to assist students that are selected for verification or have conflicting information from the submission of their FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). Click here for the Guidelines to Access the CUNY Student Forms Portal.

Due to a large volume of documentation the turnaround time to review and process documentation is 6-8 weeks.

Please follow the directions on how to apply for a Federal Direct Loan

You will need to submit a change of status form. Once complete you may upload it on CunyFirst by following the Upload Instructions

You will need to file an in-school deferment form. Please reach out to the office of Registrar for more information.

On December 22, 2021, the COVID-19 emergency relief measures were extended on ED-owned federal student loans through August 31, 2022.

You will need to take a minimum of 6 credits

Yes! If you started college as a first-time freshman in Fall 2006 or later, you can still get a Part-time TAP award if you're taking 6–11 credits. Even if you register for 12+ credits in a semester, as long as only 6–11 of them count toward your major (3–11 for students with ADA accommodations), you're still eligible. Just keep in mind, you’ll need to meet the GPA rules for Part-time TAP 2.0

Yes. You must keep at least a “C” average while getting Part-time TAP.

Yes, you can get TAP even if you’re undeclared. But you *do* need to choose a major by a certain point:

• If you’re in a 2-year program (associate degree), declare by the time you’ve earned 30 credits.
• If you’re in a 4-year program (bachelor’s degree), declare by the time you’ve earned 60 credits.

This usually means within 30 days after the end of the drop/add period in your sophomore or junior year.

If you’re in a 2-year program and have more than 30 credits, you *must* officially declare a major to keep getting TAP.

During the academic year, you and your family may experience a change in your financial situation, or you and your family may have unusual circumstances that have resulted in a reduction of your or your family's income that is considerably less than what was reported on the FAFSA. If so, you are encouraged to apply for a Professional Judgment. Professional Judgment / Special Circumstances Information

For more information on a special circumstance please go to www.citytech.cuny.edu/financial-aid/circumstances.aspx.

If your parents are divorced or separated and don't live together, answer the questions about the parent with whom you lived more during the past 12 months.

If you lived the same amount of time with each divorced or separated parent, give answers about the parent who provided more financial support during the past 12 months or during the most recent 12 months that you actually received support from a parent.

Students who fail to meet any of the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards have the right to appeal. Student must file a SAP Appeal form and upload supporting documents, using our Student Forms portal, by the given deadline.

Please review Satisfactory Academic progress (SAP).

There are situations where withdrawing from classes can impact your financial aid. Please make sure you speak to a representative if you have questions pertaining to withdrawing from classes.

The Financial Aid Office is open and we provide in-person and virtual services. For in-person and virtual hours of operation please visit our website https://www.citytech.cuny.edu/financial-aid/.