Apply for Aid & the Award Process

Follow these Steps

• Step 1: Create a FSA ID

  The FSA/StudentAid.gov ID (FSA ID) is used to log into certain U.S. Department of Education websites and electronically sign FSA forms and documents. You (the student) and your other FAFSA contributors each need an FSA ID. 

  Who are FAFSA contributors for a dependent student? 

  • You (the student)
  • If your parents were never married and do not live together, your parent who provided more financial support during the last 12 months is your FAFSA contributor.  If that parent is currently married, then your step-parent is also a contributor.
  • If your parents were never married and do live together, both of your parents are FAFSA contributors.
  • If your parents are married, both of your parents are FAFSA contributors.
  • If your parents are divorced or separated, your parent who provided more financial support during the last 12 months is your FAFSA contributor.  If that parent is remarried, then your step-parent is also a contributor.
  • If your parent is widowed, that parent is your FAFSA contributor.  If that parent is remarried, then your step-parent is also a contributor.

  Who are FAFSA contributors for an independent student? 

  • You (the student)
  • Your spouse (if applicable). If you are married and filed separately, both you and your spouse must have FSA IDs.
• Step 2: Complete the FAFSA

  You complete the FAFSA annually. Some sources of financial aid are limited, not everyone will have access to the funding. Therefore it is in your best interest to file your FAFSA as soon as the application become available so you are considered for all available resources. While completing the FAFSA online, list SUNY Plattsburgh as one of your school selections.  SUNY Plattsburgh’s FAFSA school code is 002849.

  Steps to completing the FAFSA:

  • Enter your student identity information and provide consent for Federal Student Aid (FSA) to pull information directly from the IRS.
  • Fill out your personal circumstances to help determine your eligibility for federal student aid.
  • Answer the questions to determine your dependency status. 
  • Provide information about your parent(s) or spouse. If you are a dependent student your parent(s) will be invited to contribute to your FAFSA form.  If you are an independent student and married, your spouse will be invited to contribute. 
  • Answer the student financial information questions.
  • Enter the colleges you want to receive your FAFSA information (you may select up to 20 colleges).
  • Sign your FAFSA with your FSA ID. 
  • Your contributors will receive email invitations to provide their personal and financial information.
  • When all contributors have supplied their consent, data and signatures, the FAFSA form can be submitted.
  • You (the student) will receive notification of processing.  You can check the status of your application in the “My Activity” section of your StudentAid.gov account.
• Step 3: Complete the NYS Payment  Application

  New York state residents also have the opportunity to apply for the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) online. After your FAFSA has been processed, visit tap.hesc.ny.gov/totw/ to apply. This application may also be needed to determine eligibility in other NYS aid programs, like the Excelsior Scholarship.

• Step 4: Apply for the Excelsior Scholarship

  Learn more about this scholarship opportunity, participation requirements and application availability at www.hesc.ny.gov.

• Step 5: Receive Your Financial Aid Summary

  We will send your financial aid award summary after we have received and processed your FAFSA results. Your financial aid summary details your financial aid eligibility and advises you of additional steps/actions to finalize your awards. 

• Step 6: Respond to Inquiries

  During this entire process, respond promptly to any inquiries from federal and state agencies and from Student Financial Services. These inquiries will most often be sent via email, to the students email address on their financial aid application, and to the students college email address.  Try to respond timely, as delays could impede the review process, emailing of aid summaries, and disbursement of funds.

• Step 7: Bill Payment

  Process your tuition bill (also called confirming enrollment) on MyPlattsburgh once it is available online. You will receive an email from us when your bill is ready. Pay close attention to its due date, and follow the instructions for removing optional fees, choosing cardinal cash, making payment and other processing activities.

• Financial Aid Summary & Email Notifications

  We will email you a summary of your financial aid programs when we receive the results of your submitted FAFSA and after you have been admitted to the college. The financial aid summary lists the aid programs that you are eligible for.

  If there are changes in your aid after the initial email notification, we will send an email to your FAFSA email account if you are a new student and to your Plattsburgh email account if you are a continuing students.

  We also send emails when there are tasks to complete for us to finalize your financial aid, bill, or both. It is important that you check your FAFSA and Plattsburgh email often. Most aid programs are deducted from the bill as long as you have completed all of the steps that are required for us to pay the aid to your account.

  Failure to complete your aid requirements will delay aid and cause other problems.

• Determining Your Aid Eligibility

  Your eligibility for financial aid is based upon your cost of attendance (COA), student aid index (SAI) *, unmet need, enrollment status, eligibility requirements of each specific aid program, and fund availability. In order to meet your need, we first award any scholarships, Pell Grant, Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) Grant, and Federal SEOG Grant for which you are eligible.

  Federal nursing loans are then added to your package if need remains and you are a nursing student. Federal subsidized loans and federal work-study are then offered to eligible applicants with need remaining, and as long as work-study funds are still available. Eligible students are then offered a federal TEACH Grant.

  Students who need additional assistance to cover their bill or education expenses may wish to consider a payment plan, Parent PLUS Loan, or private student loan.

  *The Student Aid Index (SAI) replaced the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) beginning with the 2024-25 FAFSA.

• Your Cost of Attendance

  Cost of attendance (COA) is the sum of the educational expenses that we expect you to incur during your enrollment period. These expenses include estimated billed costs such as tuition, mandatory fees, optional fees, room rent and meals. Also included are estimated non-billed expenses such as books, off-campus rent, food, transportation costs and personal expenses like clothing and entertainment. We use the housing plans that you reported on your FAFSA to help determine your cost of attendance.

• Student Aid Index (SAI)

  The Student Aid Index (SAI) is an eligibility index number that Student Financial Services uses to determine how much federal student aid the student would receive if the student attends our college. This number results from the information that is provided in the students FAFSA^® form.

  A need-based analysis established by law is conducted to calculate the SAI, taking into account the income and assets of the student and their parents or spouse, if applicable.  The formula considers both taxed and untaxed income, as well as any assets and benefits received, such as unemployment or Social Security.

  The SAI is not the amount of money you will have to pay for college, nor is it the amount of federal student aid you will receive. It is an eligibility index used to help calculate the sources and amounts of financial aid you are eligible to receive.

• Enrollment Status

  Your enrollment status includes your level (undergraduate, graduate, etc), class (first-year, sophomore, etc), credit load (full-time, half-time, etc), residency (NYS, out-of-state, etc), and housing plans (on-campus, off-campus, at home), among others.

  The financial aid summary identifies your enrollment status and assumes that you will be full-time (enrolled in 12 credits or more). Contact us if you will not be full-time.

  Please inform us of any changes in your enrollment status since this may affect your aid eligibility and change your financial aid.

• Unmet Need

  Unmet need is the difference between the students COA and SAI (COA Less SAI Less Other Resources = Unmet Need).

  We use this formula to determine eligibility in various federal, state, institutional, and private aid programs. Your financial aid summary reflects the aid programs that you are eligible for based on this formula.

• How to Accept or Decline Aid

  You need to accept or decline any loans or work-study in an offered status. It ’s a good idea to consider all of your college financing options, review the costs of college and talk with your family before finalizing your award offers. When you are ready to either accept or decline your offered loans or work-study:

  New Students

  1. Login to MyPlattsburgh
  2. Click: Admissions tab
  3. Click: Review Financial Aid Awards in the Admissions Checklist box
  4. Click: Accept Award Offer tab and follow the instructions
  5. Students borrowing for the first time with a federal direct subsidized loan or federal direct unsubsidized loan must also:
     1. Complete and sign your electronic Master Promissory Note
     2. Complete an online entrance counseling session
  6. Any parent electing to use a Parent Loan (PLUS) must Apply for a Direct PLUS Loan. If credit approved for the PLUS loan, your parent will also need to complete the PLUS MPN, if this is your parents first PLUS loan at Plattsburgh.
  7. If you have any outside educational funds that are not listed on your award letter, mail a copy of the donor’s letter to the financial aid office.

  Enrolled Students

  1. Login to MyPlattsburgh
  2. Click: Student tab
  3. Click: My Awards in the Financial Aid menu
  4. Select: appropriate aid year
  5. Click: Accept Award Offer tab and follow the instructions
  6. Students borrowing for the first time with a federal direct subsidized loan or federal direct unsubsidized loan must also:
     1. Complete and sign your electronic Master Promissory Note
     2. Complete an online entrance counseling session
  7. Any parent electing to use a Parent Loan (PLUS) must Apply for a Direct PLUS Loan. If credit approved for the PLUS loan, your parent will also need to complete the PLUS MPN, if this is your parents first PLUS loan at Plattsburgh.
  8. If you have any outside educational funds that are not listed on your award letter, mail a copy of the donor ’s letter to the financial aid office.
• Understanding your Award Status

  Most aid programs are deducted from the bill as long as you have completed all of the steps that are required for us to pay the aid to your account. The programs listed on your financial aid summary and on my.plattsburgh.edu will have one of the following award statuses:

  • Offered — you need to decide whether to accept, decline, or reduce the loan or work-study award. You will continue to receive email reminders until you make a decision. Loan amounts that are offered are not deducted from the bill.
  • Accepted — you have accepted the loan or work-study award. Accepted loan amounts are deducted from the bill as long as you have completed all of the steps that are required for us to pay the aid to your account (ex. Master Promissory Note, Entrance Counseling). Work-study is never deducted from the bill because it is paid via a bi-weekly paycheck.
  • Estimated — we have not received confirmation of the award amount from the funding source and it may change. Award amounts that are estimated are not deducted from the bill.
  • Certified — we have certified your private loan with the lender. Loan amounts that are certified are deducted from the bill.
  • Confirmed — we have confirmed the award amount with the funding source. Award amounts that are confirmed are generally deducted from the bill.