Common Cent$

Financial Aid Newsletter

WELCOME TO THE 2010-2011
Academic Year at SUNY Ulster!

SUNY Ulster County Community College
Financial Aid Office, Vanderlyn Hall, Room 105
(845) 687-5058 FAX (845) 687-5172

Office Hours:
Monday - Friday 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
(Monday - Thursday 8:30 a.m. - 5:15 p.m. (during June and July)
Evening Hours: Tuesday 4:30 - 6:30 p.m. (during the Fall/Spring semesters)

SUNY ULSTER SCHOOL CODES:

Federal/FAFSA 002880

State/TAP 2230

One of the most important aspects of both State and Federal financial aid is knowing the eligibility requirements (www.studentaid.ed.gov).

The New York State programs and eligibility criteria can be found at www.hesc.org.

The goal of the Financial Aid Office is to provide students and parents with the information required to be successful in applying for and receiving federal and state financial aid. The office is committed to assisting all students with achieving their educational goals.

FINANCIAL AID WORKSHOPS

The Financial Aid Office, VAN 105, provides workshops to assists students and parents in completing financial aid applications including the FAFSA, understanding the application process, and outlining the programs that are available to matriculated students. To receive financial aid a student must be admitted to the college in a financial aid-eligible program, and meet all eligibility criteria.

Materials to bring to Financial Aid Workshops:

The student PIN (and one parents PIN for dependent students) from www.pin.ed.gov

The previous year's income information including Federal and State income tax returns, W-2s, annual income amounts from Workers Compensation, Social Security as well as other non-taxable income. It is also important to know how much money is accrued in checking, savings and investment accounts.

UPCOMING WORKSHOP DATES and TIMES

Click here for the current workshop information.

FINANCIAL AID PROGRAMS

SUNY Ulster offers the following Federal and NY State financial aid programs:

Federal Pell Grant
Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
Federal Work Study
Federal Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans
Federal Parent Loans for Undergraduate Students (PLUS)
NYS Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) - for full-time students
NYS Aid for Part-time Study (APTS) - for part-time students
NYS Educational Opportunity Program (EOP)
NYS SUNY Empire Minority Honors Scholarship
Veterans Benefits

INSTITUTIONAL ASSISTANCE

Student Aide - employment
Honors Scholarship - students admitted into Honors have the ability to receive full tuition for up to four semesters. Students must be in the top 10% of an Ulster County high school graduating class. Students are required to apply for both Federal PELL and NYS TAP.

FINANCIAL AID APPLICATIONS

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA): The FAFSA is used for all Federal financial aid programs and to receive the NYS Express TAP Application. Students should request a PIN number at www.pin.ed.gov and then go to www.fafsa.gov to complete the FAFSA online.

Express TAP Application (ETA): To apply for TAP, at the end of the FAFSA, on the Confirmation page, there will be a link for New York State residents to apply for TAP. Students can also apply at the TAP website at www.hesc.org, but must wait 3 days after completing the FAFSA. Students can also check on their award status or can request a duplicate ETA at www.hesc.org.

Direct Student Loans: Students apply for federal aid on the FAFSA, complete and return the Direct Loan Cover Sheet to the financial aid office, and go to www.studentloans.gov to complete Entrance Counseling and the electronic Master Promissory Note.

Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS): Parents of dependent children apply for the Direct PLUS Loan by completing and returning a Loan Cover Sheet to the financial aid office and completing Entrance Counseling and the electronic Master Promissory Note at www.studentloans.gov.

Educational Opportunity Program (EOP): Funding and the number of students in the program is limited. Students selected for EOP grants are educationally and economically disadvantaged New York State residents.

Student Information Record (ISIR) must be received in the Financial Aid Office by the student's last day of the semester.

FINANCIAL AID AND ACADEMICS:

The Guidelines

Enrollment for financial aid purposes includes only those courses that apply toward the declared program of study. Students who are taking 12 credits that apply toward their degree may take other courses as enrichment. Awards may be recalculated or denied based on course applicability. Courses taken for audit grades do not count toward degree requirements.
Students who add courses may be eligible for additional financial aid. Come to the Financial Aid Office to let us know of the changes.
Students who drop courses may not be eligible for the original amount of financial aid awarded. Check with the Financial Aid Office BEFORE DROPPING THE CLASS to learn how the change will affect your financial aid awards for both the current semester and future semesters.
Students who repeat a required course for their program of study as a result of having a non-acceptable grade may still be eligible for financial aid.
Students who never attend class(es) will be withdrawn by the College only if the student notifies the college prior to the beginning of classes. Financial Aid awards will reflect the allowable amounts based on enrollment and attendance.
Students who forge names on college and/or financial aid documents, or otherwise intend to receive financial aid funds erroneously will have their financial aid denied, be academically dismissed, and/or have other penalties imposed.
Students who do not meet the attendance requirements of all classes may have their financial aid checks placed on hold until verification of acceptable attendance is received from the instructors.
All matriculated students are reviewed for satisfactory academic progress at the end of spring semester for Title IV eligibility and each semester for TAP and APTS.
According to both Federal and State regulations, students are limited to six (full-time equivalent) semesters of eligibility for a two year program (three semesters for a one-year program). The Financial Aid Office will notify Title IV recipients of their loss of eligibility, and TAP notifies students who have used 6 semesters of TAP/APTS.

HELPFUL WEBSITES

www.fafsa.gov	completing the FAFSA
www.hesc.org	checking on TAP awards, scholarships
www.sss.gov	Selective Service status information
www.sunyulster.edu	SUNY Ulster website - check BANNER web
www.studentloans.gov	Direct Loan Entrance and Exit Counseling/eMPNs
www.fastweb.com	Scholarship information source
www.irs.gov	Hope Scholarship criteria and information
www.finaid.org	Financial aid calculator and information

IMPORTANT TELEPHONE NUMBERS

SUNY ULSTER (Area code: 845)
Admissions	687-5022
Business Resource Center (BRC)	339-1322
Career Services	687-5091
Financial Aid	687-5058
Registrar's	687-5075
Security	687-5023
Student Accounts Office	687-5099
Student Support Services	687-5131
Switchboard	687-5000
Transfer Office	687-5081
OTHER
TAP	1-888-697-4372
PELL (Federal)	1-800-433-3243
IRS	1-800-829-1040
NYS Tax Bureau	1-800-225-5829
Selective Service	1-847-688-6888
Immigration	1-800-375-5283

Financial Aid Office
Vanderlyn Hall Room 105
SUNY Ulster County Community College
Stone Ridge, New York 12484
(845) 687-5058 FAX (845) 687-5172
financialaid@sunyulster.edu