Financial Aid

Financial Aid

New York City College of Technology (City Tech) participates in all federal and state financial aid programs. Financial aid is available to students in the form of grants, loans and work-study. Grants provide funds that do not have to be repaid. Loans must be repaid. Federal Work- Study consists of part-time employment, either on campus or in an outside agency. Full-time students are best positioned to capitalize on the maximum awards. For financial aid purposes, a student is considered to be full-time if he or she is registered for a minimum of 12 credits/ units or the equivalent or equated credits/ units within the semester. A student is considered part-time if he or she is registered for fewer than 12 credits/units or equated credits/units during a semester.

Applying for Federal and New York State Financial Aid

Students should complete three financial aid applications. The first application is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which can be found online here. To begin, students should apply for a federal student aid identification (FSAID), found here,  which allows students to apply, make corrections and access their federal financial aid information easily. Parents of dependent students are required to apply for an FSAID. The college code for City Tech is 002696 and should be indicated on the FAFSA.

The FAFSA is an application for Federal Pell Grant, Federal Work-Study,  and Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity (FSEOG) Grants. Students applying for Federal Direct Loans must complete both the FAFSA and the Direct Loan Processing Form

The second financial aid application is for the New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP). Students can apply for TAP through the link for New York State residents on the FAFSA on the web Submission Confirmation Page. Students will be asked to establish a PIN for TAP which allows them to apply for TAP, keep track of application information and make changes. The TAP college code for City Tech is 1405. Students who file the TAP application are considered for New York State financial assistance programs (TAP, Aid for Part-time Study {APTS}, Part-time TAP {PTAP}).  The TAP application can be completed online.  The TAP application can be done immediately after completing their FAFSA; however, processing time for the application may take a few weeks to verify details.

The third application is the CUNY Supplement Form. Students should log into the CUNY Portal to complete the CUNY Financial Aid Supplement online. For instructions, please click here. It is used to calculate Aid for Part-time Study (APTS). Students who do not wish to receive APTS  do not have to complete the CUNY Supplement Form.

When the FAFSA is processed, students receive a FAFSA Submission Summary from the U.S. Department of Education via email or by mail if the student did not provide an email address. The FAFSA Submission Summary displays the information submitted on the FAFSA including the Student Aid Index (SAI) . See the section on “Financial Need and Student Aid Index (SAI) below. Students should review the FAFSA Submission Summary  to make sure the financial and biographic information are correct and make corrections as soon as possible online. Alternatively, students can come to the financial aid office with supporting documentation to make changes. Students should check their CUNYfirst account “Student Services Center” to-do list for a complete list of requested documents. Students also receive an email from the New York State Higher Education Services Corporation regarding eligibility for TAP. An award letter is sent to part-time students acknowledging eligibility for APTS and PTAP after certification from the financial aid office. An award letter from the financial aid office includes all awards that they are eligible for during the award year.

Cases of Unusual Circumstances/Special Circumstances

If a student is required to provide parental data on the FAFSA but cannot because of extreme circumstances that have caused involuntary separation from his/ her parents, the student should see a financial aid counselor and ask about the unusual circumstance process. The student must email FinaidSpecialCircumstances@citytech.cuny.edu to explain their extenuating circumstances in detail. If a student meets the requirements to file an appeal, a task will be initiated on Student Forms to complete an online unusual circumstance appeal form. An account will need to be created prior to completing the task here https://cuny-nyt.studentforms.com/ .In addition, if the student or the student’s family has experienced a change in situation from the prior year, such as loss of employment, separation of parents or some other hardship, the student can email FinaidspecialCircumstances@citytech.cuny.edu and provide a detailed explanation of the extenuating circumstance.  This process of review may lead to an income adjustment that more closely reflects the current circumstance. The student must complete the FAFSA first, using the income for the year as requested on the application and reach out to the financial aid office to request an appeal. For more information on special circumstances please visit https://www.citytech.cuny.edu/financial-aid/circumstances.aspx.  

Annual Application Process
Students must file for financial aid annually starting in October for the upcoming academic year (summer, fall and spring terms). For information on receiving assistance completing the application please click here.

Financial Need and Student Aid Index (SAI)

Financial aid eligibility is based on financial need (except for unsubsidized Federal Direct Loan and PLUS Loan). When students apply for federal student aid, the information reported on the FAFSA is used in a formula established by the U.S. Congress that calculates the SAI (SAI). The SAI is used to determine eligibility for federal, state, and institutional aid. The SAI is used to create an offer, such as a Federal Pell Grant. Beginning with the 2024-2025 aid year, the SAI replaces the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) that was used for the 2023-2024 aid year. 

When CUNY receives a student’s FAFSA information from the Department of Education, CUNY develops the student’s budget or cost of attendance. The budget is based on whether the student lives with the parents or in their own and if the student will attend college for one full academic year (9 months) or one semester (4.5 months).

The “financial need” is Cost of Attendance-Student Aid Index-Total Financial Aid= Unmet Need. The student may not receive financial aid in excess of their financial need. In other words, the student’s financial need is the maximum amount of financial aid, including Federal Subsidized Direct Loan the student may receive for an academic year. Besides determining the amount the student can receive from the Pell Grant, the federal SAI is also used to determine eligibility for Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), and Federal Work- Study (FWS)

FAFSA Submission Summary

Correct and complete FAFSA information and the FAFSA Submission Summary must be processed by the U.S. Department of Education and received by the school before the last day of enrollment to be eligible for federal financial aid. If a student is advised that his/her FAFSA information is subject to verification, the student must submit all requested documents to the financial aid office and the information must be processed and finalized with the U.S. Department of Education within 120 days of the student’s last day of attendance. Failure to submit the required documentation may result in loss of Federal Financial Aid. The Office of Financial Aid will notify students of any changes to SAI or Cost of Attendance via email at their official City Tech email addresses.

Cost of Attendance

The cost of attendance or budget is an estimate of the amount of money it will cost a student to attend college for an academic year set each year by the University. It includes tuition, fees, books, transportation, housing and food expenses. The cost of attendance for CUNY students can be found here.

Student Financial Resources

Students should consider the resources that they will have from earnings and savings, the amount their parents can contribute and any benefits that will be received, such as Social Security, veteran’s benefits, or unemployment that can be used at the beginning of the semester. Savings from summer employment can help meet the initial costs of enrollment; however, students will need additional money for books, supplies, and transportation. If financial aid exceeds tuition charges, students may qualify for an early partial disbursement of the Pell Grant in the form of a book advance payment.

Study Abroad

Students who enroll in an overseas program of study approved by the College may be  eligible to receive federal financial aid and, in some cases, state aid. The coursework for which they enroll must be applicable to their degrees. The student must reach out to their Study Abroad Adviser and financial aid office for more information.

ePermit/Permit Students and Financial Aid Payments

Students who wish to take courses at other CUNY or non-CUNY colleges need to be aware of how financial aid payments will be made.

ePermit within CUNY
An ePermit provides permission to take a course at another CUNY college. Students who are taking a course on ePermit at another CUNY college (host college) pay their tuition and fee charges at City Tech, the home college, and may be paid financial aid at City Tech.

Permit with Non-CUNY Colleges
The Non-CUNY Permit Form requires approval/ signature of a financial aid counselor or staff member. A consortium agreement must be completed in order to receive financial aid for classes taken at non-CUNY institutions. Students typically pay tuition to the non-CUNY institution where they are taking the course. Permission of the Registrar’s Office is also required for the course to transfer back to City Tech.

Veteran Financial Aid Information

For information regarding Veterans Administration educational benefits for veterans, reservists and eligible dependents, please click here.