Grants - Financial Aid

Grants

Grants are funds that are provided by federal and state agencies. Grants do not have to be repaid.
The FAFSA must be completed to receive grants.

Federal Pell Grant

The federal government awards Pell Grants to those students who are found eligible after completing the FAFSA. Pell Grants are not available to students who have already completed a Bachelor’s degree. The amount is determined according to eligibility and the number of hours in which you are enrolled. The maximum award is $7395 for (2024-25) and (2025-26) per year.

Farmingdale State College credits the funds to your account. If and when a student’s tuition account becomes overpaid with loans and grants, a refund will be issued.

Year-Round Pell

The FAFSA Simpliification Act made an important change to Year-Round Pell. Previously, a Pell Grant-eligible student must have been enrolled at least half-time in a payment period during which they received more than 100% of their Scheduled Award. The law removes the half-time enrollment requirement beginning with the 2024-25 award year but made no other changes to the Year-Round Pell provisions.

Pell Recalculation Policy

Schools must recalculate Pell Grants based on the number of credits enrolled in at a prescribed Pell Recalculation Date. We will review enrollment at the end of the drop/add period of each Part of term (session) within a semester and including the Winter term as a Part of Term for the Spring semester. A Pell Grant may be reduced or increased based on changes in enrollment.

Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG)

SEOG is a federal grant administered by the College. Students will need to complete the FAFSA to determine eligibility. Students must be Pell Grant recipients to be eligible for SEOG.  Early application is critical in determining eligibility for this grant. SEOG awards range from 100 to 3000 depending on cost of attendance and availability of funds. If you are not enrolled full-time your award may be reduced or cancelled. 

Tuition Assistance Program (TAP)

The TAP award is a state grant that is based on prior year net taxable income. The maximum award is $5665 and the minimum award is $1000. The New York State Higher Education Services Corporation administers TAP for New York State residents who are enrolled full time. The Express TAP Application (ETA) is available online at https://www.tap.hesc.ny.gov/totw/ External link A FAFSA must be submitted before applying for TAP. More information is available at www.hesc.ny.gov External link. 

Please visit the Degree Works and Financial Aid Applicable credits tab  click on https://www.farmingdale.edu/financial-aid/degreeworks-financial-aid.shtml to learn more about DegreeWorks and applicable credits requirements.

TAP awards are not official, however, until the Certifying Officer has verified that all other eligibility requirements are met. Please click on the Academic Standards tab  or click https://www.farmingdale.edu/financial-aid/academic-standards.shtml to learn more about academic eligibility requirements for TAP.

Part-Time TAP Program

The part-time TAP is a grant for eligible New York residents attending in-state institutions on a part-time basis. Eligibility is based on the prior prior year's net taxable income. Part-Time TAP is not the same as Aid for Part-Time Study. The Express TAP Application (ETA) is available online at https://www.tap.hesc.ny.gov/totw/ External link The FAFSA must be submitted before applying for part-time TAP. More information is available at www.hesc.ny.gov External link.

Aid for Part-Time Study

The Aid for Part-Time Study (APTS) grant is for eligible, U.S citizens and legal New York residents enrolled part-time, between 3 and 11 credit hours per semester. Eligibility is based on the prior years net taxable income. To apply, students should obtain an APTS application from the FSC Office of Financial Aid. Since funds are limited, students should complete the application and return it as early as possible for processing. More information is available at www.hesc.ny.gov External link. 

State University Supplemental Tuition Award (SUSTA)

SUSTA is a state grant that is based on a full time student’s TAP grant eligibility and financial need. Amount of awards can range up to $1,000 per academic year.

SUNY Tuition Credit (SUTC)

The SUNY Tuition Credit is a grant for full time students who are also TAP grant recipients to help meet the cost of SUNY tuition.

Excelsior Scholarship and Excelsior Tuition Credit

Recipients of the Excelsior Scholarship may receive up to 5,500 or actual tuition, whichever is less. The maximum Excelsior Scholarship will be reduced by the amount of certain other student financial aid awards which an applicant has or will receive for the academic year including a New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) award and/or federal Pell grant.

Your household federal adjusted gross income can total up to $125,000 to be eligible. For dependent students, the federal adjusted gross income is comprised of parents’ and student’s income. For independent students, the adjusted gross income can not exceed the income threshold for the applicable year. The 2024-25 application uses income from 2022 & 2025-26 uses income from 2023. The verified federal filing threshold for 2022 is $12,950 & for 2023 is $13,850. If the dependent student applying for the 2024-25 school year earned $12,950 or less in 2022 they are not required to file their own taxes and  the parent(s) income will be the only income used in determining income eligibility. Likewise, for the 2025-26 school year students that earned $13,850 or less in 2023 are not required to file their own taxes. 

A supplemental Excelsior Tuition Credit award will be added to the Excelsior Scholarship if the tuition is not fully covered by the Excelsior Scholarship, TAP, Pell and all other grants and scholarships. More information is available at hesc.ny.gov/excelsior External link.

Fall 2025 Application deadline is August 31, 2025.

THEDREAM.US Scholarship

THEDREAM.US Scholarship is the nation’s largest scholarship program for undocumented immigrant youth.  In 2021, TheDream.US partnered with Farmingdale State College to provide its undocumented students’ the opportunity to attend.  TheDream.US has two types of Scholarships. One for high school or GED graduates and another one for community college graduates.  For more information, visit the THEDREAM.US page. 

Children of Fallen Heroes

The FAFSA Simplification Act made changes to awarding eligibility. Beginning with the 2024-25 award year, students who meet the eligibility requirements for Pell Grants under the Special Rule in HEA Section 401(c) will receive Max Pell, regardless of their calculated Student Aid Index (SAI). To receive a Pell Grant based on eligibility under the Special Rule, a student must be--

• The child of a parent or guardian who died in the line of duty while (a) serving on 
  active duty as a member of the Armed Forces on or after September 11, 2001; or 
  (b) actively serving as and performing the duties of a public safety officer; and
  Less than 33 years old as of the January 1 prior to the award year for which the 
  applicant is applying (e.g., for the 2025-26 award year, a student must be less 
  than 33 years old as of January 1, 2025, to be eligible).

Veterans Benefits

If you served on Active Duty, you might be eligible for education benefits offered by the Department of Veterans Affairs. For example, the Post-9/11 ^® [GI Bill ^®] provides financial support for educational and housing expenses to individuals with at least 90 days of aggregate service after September 10, 2001, or individual's discharges with a service connected disability after 30 days. You must have received an honorable discharge to be eligible for the Post 9/11 ^® [GI Bill ^®].  If you are currently serving in the military, you may be eligible for funding offered through the Department of Defense Tuition Assistance program. Check your eligibility status and the amount for which you qualify with your Service prior to enrolling. If you are the spouse or child of a service member who is serving on active duty, Title 10 orders in the pay grades of E1-E6, O1-O3, or W1-W2, you may be eligible for financial assistance from the Department of Defense for education, training, and/or the occupational license and credentials necessary for a portable career. If you are the spouse or child of a service member, you may be eligible for transfer of the service member's Post 9/11 ^® [GI Bill ^®] benefits to you.

"GI Bill ^®  is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).