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Applying for Financial Aid

Empower yourself in your financial aid journey by completing the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) and the TAP (Tuition Assistance Program) application. These applications, which are free and quick to complete, open the doors to the largest source of financial aid for your college education.

Don’t miss out on potential financial aid. The 2024-2025 FAFSA is available until June 30, 2025, and the 2025-2026 FAFSA is now open. Filling out the FAFSA is a crucial step in securing financial aid for your college education.

Follow the steps below to apply for Financial Aid

#1 Prepare to Apply: Gather your parents and, if applicable, your income tax returns, Social Security numbers, W-2 form(s), and other records of income and assets. Tax information can be estimated and corrected later if a tax return has not yet been completed. You can get free information and assistance from the Financial Aid Office at the college you plan to attend, or the U.S. Department of Education. You can also call 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243).

#2 Get an FSA ID: To expedite the application process, you should request a Federal Student Aid ID (FSA ID), which consists of a user-selected username and password. With your FSA ID, you can sign your FAFSA electronically, loan promissory notes, and other legal documents. If you are under 24 years old, you and one of your parents will likely need to obtain an FSA ID each. Parents without a Social Security Number can also create an FSA ID. You can apply for an FSA ID here.

#3 Complete the FAFSA: The FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is the application for federal student assistance. You can apply before being admitted to CUNY, starting December 1, for the academic year you plan to attend.  Apply online here. York's federal code is 004759.

For free help in completing your FAFSA, you can call the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1800-4-FED-AID (1800-433-3243). For federal student financial aid information online, please click here.

Consent and approval are needed to retrieve and disclose federal tax information from each participant on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. With consent and approval, your federal tax information is automatically transferred from the IRS to help complete the FAFSA form. If the student does not provide consent and approval and all contributors on the FAFSA form, the student will not be eligible for federal student aid, including grants and loans. All participants must provide consent and approval even if they didn’t file a U.S. federal tax return or any tax return at all. Consent and approval must be provided every year the FAFSA form is completed.

Note: If anyone declines consent and approval, they must provide their income information manually, and the student will not be eligible for federal student aid. Declining consent and approval prevent the U.S. Department of Education from requesting federal tax information from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). This information would have been used to complete the FAFSA form.

#5 Complete the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) Application: The TAP (Tuition Assistance Program) application is for New York State residents to apply for NY State financial aid. Once you complete your FAFSA online, you will be taken to a Confirmation Page. Click on the link to apply for New York State-based financial aid, and you will be directed to the Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC) website to fill out your TAP application. If you miss the link, you will receive an email from HESC after your FAFSA is processed with information on how to complete your TAP application. The 2024-2025 TAP application will be available until June 30, 2025. The TAP application for the 2025-2026 academic year is available. Visit the Applying for NYS Aid Frequently Asked Questions for more information. York's State code is 1418.

#6 Receive a FAFSA Submission Summary: After your FAFSA form is submitted and processed, you can access your FAFSA Submission Summary—an electronic or paper document that summarizes the information you reported on your FAFSA form. It includes your estimated eligibility for a Federal Pell Grant and federal student loans, your Student Aid Index (SAI), and whether you’ve been selected for verification. Review your FAFSA Submission Summary to see if any additional information or corrections may be needed. You may need to provide additional information before your Student Aid Index (SAI) can be calculated. You can also access your FAFSA Submission Summary at studentaid.gov with your FSA ID.

#7 Verify Your Data: The U.S. Department of Education selects a certain number of applicants for a verification process. If you have been selected, tax filers will need to submit Tax Return Transcript(s) or a complete signed copy of a preparer’s Federal Income Tax Return (Form 1040, 1040A, or 1040EZ) that was submitted to the IRS and other documents to your school’s financial aid office to verify the data you supplied on your FAFSA.

Being selected for verification does not necessarily mean that you made an error in filling out your FAFSA. Still, to receive the financial aid that you have been awarded, you will have to submit IRS Tax Return Transcript(s) and other documents requested by the Financial Aid Office.

To order a Tax Return Transcript, go to www.irs.gov, click on Get Transcript of Your Tax Records, and follow the steps or call the IRS at 1-800-908-9946. Instead of ordering a Tax Transcript, you can import your tax information into your FAFSA at www.fafsa.gov by using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool.

#8 Receive Financial Aid Offer Notification: Once your FAFSA is complete and you demonstrate financial need, you will receive an award notice indicating the financial aid programs for which you qualify. If you are not eligible for need based financial aid, you can contact the financial aid office to find out other options to finance your education.

Transfer Students Applying for Financial Aid

Students transferring to York should ensure that York College is listed on their application for federal and state aid. You can add the York College Federal Code (004759) at https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa. The York College TAP school code is 1418. Students' state applications may be checked and updated at www.hesc.ny.gov.