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Since students must be enrolled in an eligible degree or certificate program in order to be considered for financial aid, all applicants for financial aid must file an application for admission to the College and have all academic records sent to the Office of Admissions. In addition to being in an eligible degree or certificate program, all financial aid applicants must meet the following requirements in order to be considered for aid:

A. You must be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen.
B. If you are a male between the ages of 18 through 25, you must be registered with Selective Service. For more information, or to register, go to www.sss.gov.
C. You must be making satisfactory academic progress for purposes of receiving financial aid and you must be in good academic standing as defined by the College.
D. You must not owe a repayment on a Federal Pell Grant or a Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant and must not be in default on a Federal Perkins Loan, Nursing Student Loan, Federal Family Education Loan (Stafford Subsidized or Stafford Unsubsidized), William D. Ford Direct Loan or Federal PLUS/SLS Federal Loan.
E. You must have a valid Social Security number.
F. You must show financial need (for campus-based programs and Subsidized Federal Student Loans).
G. Students who have been convicted under Federal or State law for possessionor sale of a controlled substance while enrolled in school and receiving Title IV assistance can be disqualified for financial aid. The student self-certifies when applying for aid that he is eligible; the student is not required to confirm this unless there is conflicting information.

If a student is convicted of an offense involving the possession of an illegal substance, the ineligibility period is:

•First offense = 1 year from the date of conviction
•Second offense = 2 years from the date of conviction
• Third offense = Indefinite period

If a student is convicted of an offense involving the sale of an illegal substance, the ineligibility period is:

•First offense = 2 years from the date of conviction
•Second offense = Indefinite period

A student may regain eligibility by successfully completing a drug rehabilitation program that complies with criteria established by the Department of Education. An eligible drug rehabilitation program:

•Includes two unannounced drug tests; and
•Receives or is qualified to receive funds directly or indirectly under a federal, state, or local government program which must:

  1. Be administered or recognized by a federal, state, or local government agency or court;
  2. Be qualified to receive or currently receiving payment directly or indirectly from a state-licensed insurance company; or
  3. Be administered or recognized by a State-licensed hospital, health clinic, or medical doctor.

Independent Student Status

To be considered an independent student for federal financial aid purposes, a student must meet one of the following criteria: A student must be 24 years old by December 31st of the award year. As of the date you are completing your financial aid application are you married or are you separated but not divorced? Are you currently serving on active duty in the U.S Armed Forces for the purposes other than training? Are you a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces?Do you have children who will receive more than half of their support from you?Do you have dependents (other than your children or spouse) who live with you and who receive more than half of their support from you? At any time since you turned 13, were both your parents deceased, were you in foster care or were you a ward of the court? Are you or were you an emancipated minor as determined by a court in your state of legal residence? Are you or were you in legal guardianship as determined by a court in your state of legal residence?At any time after July 2011, did your high school or school district homeless liaison determine that you were an unaccompanied youth who was homeless? At any time on or after July 1, 2011, did the director of an emergency shelter or transitional housing program funded by the U.S. department of Housing and Urban development determine that you were an unaccompanied youth who was homeless?At any time on or after July 1, 2011, did the director of a runaway or homeless youth basic center or transitional living program determine that you were an unaccompanied youth who was homeless or were self-supporting and at risk of being homeless?

Students are urged to make appointment to speak to a counselor in the Financial Aid Office if they are considering filing for federal financial aid as an independent student but do not meet the above mentioned federal criteria.

Students applying for the New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) must meet a different set of guidelines to be considered independent. TAP considers students aged 35 or older as automatically independent. Students between 22 and 34 years of age must meet additional requirements for independence as outlined&nbsp the application. Students under 22 years of age will normally be considered dependent unless they can fully document their circumstances.

Study Abroad Program

Financial aid is available to students who wish to study abroad. Students enrolled in classes abroad must be certain that these courses are approved for credit at our College and have a completed consortium agreement signed by all appropriate administrators at both the home and visiting institution. Students participating in the study abroad program must meet all the established criteria to receive financial aid.