Top Ten—FAQs

Top ten things you need to know about applying for Financial Aid:

1. FAFSA School code—002840
   TAP code—0890 BS
   
   
2. When do I need to file?
   If you are a current student, or will enter Upstate in the Summer or Fall semesters, file
   BEFORE MARCH 1st
   
   If you will be entering Upstate in January, file
   BEFORE November 1st
   
   
3. What do I need to file?
   
   You must file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
   
   BE SURE TO LIST OUR SCHOOL! Our Federal School Code is 002840.
   
   NYS TAP Application for Undergraduate NYS residents. Graduate level students are not eligible for TAP. See below (#7) for more information.
   
   
4. How do I get a PIN number?
   
   Federal Student Aid—PIN Web site is your source of information for the Federal Student Aid PIN.
   
   Your PIN can be used each year to electronically apply for federal student aid and to access your Federal Student Aid records online.
   
   Your PIN serves as your electronic signature and provides access to your personal records, so you should never give your PIN to anyone, including commercial services that offer to help you complete your FAFSA.
   
   
5. What if I have special circumstances? How will you know about them?
   
   Send us an email (finaid@upstate.edu) explaining your circumstances. Please provide as much documentation as possible. You should do this if any of the following applies to you:
   
   • Ongoing medical expenses, day care costs, loss of income. Please be sure to include specific details.
     
   • You have a scholarship from an outside organization.
     
     
6. OOPS! I missed the MARCH 1 deadline. Now what?
   
   Don't panic. File your FAFSA as quickly as possible. Applications received after APRIL 1 will be processed in the following order:
   
   Entering students; Continuing students.
   See the section below that starts — When do I find out…
   
   
7. How about TAP? What do I need to do?
   
   TAP is linked to the FAFSA. When completing your FAFSA electronically, you will be able to link to your online TAP application at the end of the FAFSA session.
   • New York State Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC)
   HESC determines the eligibility of each applicant, and will notify you of your award.

   After you file, if you need to make changes in the information you sent to TAP, a change form is available at HESC.

8. Do I have to do all this? I just want a student loan.
   
   Student loans are financial aid, too. If you want to borrow a federal loan, you need
   to start by filing the FAFSA.
   
   
9. I'm a Medical Student. Is my parents' income information still needed?
   
   Parents' information is needed if you are applying for the following aid:
   
   
   • Institutional Loans and Scholarships from Upstate - includes scholarships and loans, and tuition waivers for economically disadvantaged and EOP/HEOP graduates.
     
   • Federal Health Professions Primary Care Loans.
     
     
10. When do I find out how much and what kind of aid I'll receive?
    
    Financial Aid Eligibility letters will be sent out in this order:
    
    
    By late April

• Entering Physical Therapy Students
  
• Entering Medical Students
• Physician Assistants

By early May

• College of Medicine, MS 3 and 4
  

By late May

• College of Medicine, MS 2
• College of Health Professions
• College of Nursing
• College of Graduate Studies