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Financial Aid

Frequently Asked Questions

Different Types of Financial Aid

A variety of financial aid sources are available to help you pay for college and some of these resources include Federal Grants, Federal Work Study, Federal Direct Loans, and scholarships. For more information on the different types of aid please visit https://studentaid.gov/understand-aid/types

Applying for Financial Aid

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 1st of the academic year. City Tech has an early priority deadline of March 31st.

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

Viewing your Financial Aid

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 you 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.

Refunds

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.

Submitting Documentation

You can either submit your documentation through Filenet or you can use Dynamic Forms

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

Direct Loans

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.

Special Circumstance Appeal / Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal

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 an Income Adjustment.

You will need to use the parent for whom has supported you for all of the 2019 academic year and who you currently reside with.

You may submit your appeal by filling out the Federal Title IV Financial Aid Eligibility Appeal here. You will need to follow up directly with the Office of Student Affairs at StudentAffairs@citytech.cuny.edu with any questions.

Withdrawing from Classes

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.

Contact Us

The Financial Aid Office is open and has in person services by appointment Mon-Thurs 9:30 am-4:30 pm, Friday CLOSED. We strongly encourage students to visit us on ZOOM. For ZOOM hours of operation please visit our website https://www.citytech.cuny.edu/financial-aid/

Resources

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly called Food Stamps, is the largest federal program aimed at combating hunger and food insecurity. SNAP benefits are provided through an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card, similar to a bank debit card or credit card. Learn more.