Types of Financial Aid

There are two main categories of financial aid:  need based aid and non-need based aid.  Need based aid is a designation that is based on a student's financial need.  For example, a need based grant might be awarded based on a family's low income.  Non-need based aid does not consider a student's/family income.  The types of financial aid below that are non-need based are Federal Direct Unsubsidized Student Loans, Federal Direct Parent Loans, and Private Education Loans.  All other types of aid discussed are need based.

Federal PELL Grant

The Pell Grant is a federal grant for undergraduate students only. Eligibility is based on need, family income, assets, the number in the family enrolled in college, and other factors as reported on the FAFSA. Pell Grant is not required to be paid back and is available to part-time and full-time students meeting the program guidelines for financial need and academic progress. Eligible students can receive a lifetime limit of 12 full-time semesters. Maximum amount is up to $7,395 per year.

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG)

SEOG is a federal grant that is based on the results of the FAFSA and is not required to be paid back. Funds are limited and are awarded on a first come, first served basis to Pell eligible students enrolled at least half-time and demonstrate the most financial need. Priority is given to those students whose FAFSA applications are received by June 1 for the Fall semester. Average amount is $400 per year.

Federal Work Study (FWS)

FWS is a type of Federal Financial Aid that provides students the opportunity to earn money by working part-time on campus or off campus with a non-profit organization. Funding is limited and is offered on a first come, first served basis to students who demonstrate financial need and request FWS. Students must be registered for at least 6 credit hours that apply to their degree/program requirements. FWS is earned aid and is paid to the student in the form of a bi-weekly paycheck for the hours worked. If the student does not work, FWS is not paid. Priority is given to those students whose FAFSA applications are received by June 1 for the Fall semester.

Federal Direct Student Loan 

Low interest federal student loans offered by the U.S. Department of Education to help cover the costs of higher education. Repayment begins six months after the student leaves school or drops below half-time enrollment. The FAFSA is the application for Federal Direct Student Loans.

  • Subsidized: Interest free until six month grace period ends.
  • Unsubsidized: Interest begins to accrue when the loan is disbursed.
  • Dependent Students: Loan amounts are $200-$6,500 per year based on grade level and eligibility (no more than $3,500 for freshman or $4,500 for sophomore can be subsidized).
  • Independent Students: Loan amounts are $200-$10,500 per year based on grade level and eligibility (no more than $3,500 for freshman or $4,500 for sophomore can be subsidized).

CCC students needing to access loan funds are required to apply for Federal Direct Loans before private loans will be certified as the terms and conditions of the Direct Loan program are more beneficial.

Federal Direct Parent Plus Loan

PLUS Loans are low-interest loans available to parents of dependent students to help pay for educational expenses. The parent is the borrower, not the student; therefore, the parent is responsible for repayment of the loan. Interest is charged for all periods and repayment begins 60 days after full disbursement of the loan. The lender is the U.S. Department of Education rather than a bank. Some of the eligibility requirements are:

  • Parent must be the biological or adoptive parent of the student for whom you are borrowing.
  • Student must be a dependent student who is enrolled at least half-time.
  • Parent and student must be U.S. Citizens or eligible noncitizens, must not be in default on any federal education loans or owe an overpayment on a federal education grant.
  • Visit the Parent tab on studentaid.gov for more information.

To apply for a Direct Parent PLUS loan, visit https://studentaid.gov/plus-app/. Once the PLUS Application is submitted, the parent will be notified if the credit has been approved.

If the credit is approved, the parent will need to complete a PLUS Master Promissory Note(MPN). This is completed online at https://studentaid.gov/mpn/parentplus/.

If the credit is denied, the parent may still be eligible to receive a PLUS loan by:

  • Obtaining an endorser and completing PLUS Counseling and completing a PLUS MPN, or
  • Documenting extenuating circumstances to the satisfaction of the U.S. Department of Education and completing PLUS Counseling and a PLUS MPN

If the credit is denied and the parent does not want to proceed with either of the above mentioned options, the student may be eligible for additional unsubsidized loan.

The school will receive notification when a PLUS Loan Request has been submitted and if approved and the MPN has been completed, the Financial Aid Office will send the parent an email and/or a letter indicating how much they are eligible to borrow along with a form that will have to be filled out and returned to the Financial Aid Office. If denied and the parent will not be pursuing a PLUS loan, the student will receive a letter from the Financial Aid Office regarding eligibility for additional unsubsidized loan along with a form that they can fill out and return to the Financial Aid office to accept additional Direct Unsubsidized Loan.

NYS Tuition Assistance Program (TAP)

TAP is a New York State grant for students who are registered full-time and are New York State residents. You must:

  • Complete the TAP application at www.tapweb.org/totw and be awarded through NYS Higher Education Services Corporation (NYS HESC).
  • Incur full-time tuition liability by the end of the third week of classes and maintain full-time status.
  • Be registered in 12 credit hours of new study that apply to your degree/program requirements, unless it is your graduating semester.
  • Be meeting all satisfactory academic and pursuit of program requirements as set by NYS HESC.

If you are a first time TAP recipient and you are required to complete developmental courses, you must carry a minimum of 3 credit bearing hours as part of the full-time load.

If you have received TAP in the past, regardless of where, and you are required to take developmental courses, you must carry a minimum of 6 credit bearing hours as part of your full-time load.

Students may receive a maximum of six semesters of full-time TAP funding to pursue an associate degree.

NYS Part-Time Tuition Assistance Program (PT TAP) for Degree Programs

New York State tuition award for students who are legal NYS residents and are registered part-time (3-11 credits per semester that are degree-program requirements. Income guidelines are the same as the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP). Must be matriculated into a degree-granting program of study and be meeting all satisfactory academic and pursuit of program requirements as determined by NYS HESC. Awards are based on a prorated schedule through NYS HESC. Complete the FAFSA and NYS Student Aid Payment Application.

NYS Part-Time Tuition Assistance Program for Non-Degree Programs

NYS tuition award for part-time students enrolled in eligible non-degree workforce credential programs leading to employment or advancement of a student in a ‘significant industry’ as identified by the Department of Labor. Eligible CCC non-degree workforce credential programs are as follows:


Approved Programs

  • Applied Electronics for Manufacturing Assemblers
  • Applied Electronics for Manufacturing Technicians
  • Bookkeeping/Accounting
  • Career Welding - non credit
  • Certified Cisco Network Administrator (CCNA)
  • Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)- non credit
  • Childhood Development Associate Preparation
  • Customer Sales and Service
  • Direct Support Professional I
  • Direct Support Professional II
  • Direct Support Professional III
  • Emergency Management
  • Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)
  • Enhanced Bookkeeping/Accounting
  • Health Administration
  • Mechanical Assembler Level I
  • Mechanical Assembler Level II
  • Pre-Nursing Primer I
  • Pre-Nursing Primer II
  • Recovery Peer Coaching and Advocacy
  • Tax Preparer
  • Teacher Assistant II
  • Teacher Assistant III
  • Technical Theater

Approved programs are subject to change as mandated by NYS Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC) and NYS Department of Education.  Some of these micro-credentials are for credit and some are non-credit. Certification is based on credit, so the non-credit courses will be assigned a credit hour equivalency.

Student Eligibility
Eligibility requirements for non-degree TAP

  • Residency, citizenship, Income verification process (IVP)
  • Enroll in approved non-degree workforce credential program at a participating college
  • Be a part-time student taking the equivalent of one to eleven credits. Full-time students are not eligible.
  • Must file a FAFSA and TAP Application or DREAM Act application
  • Other benefits- any awards specified for tuition only, such as employer tuition reimbursement, tuition     specific scholarships, and some VA benefits, will reduce the amount of part-time TAP the student can receive

Eligibility requirements not required for non-degree TAP

  • Student is not required to have a high school diploma, equivalent, or passing score on an ability to benefit test to be eligible for an award
  • Students enrolled as non-matriculated in an approved non-degree workforce credential program are not required to meet the 15 week requirement to be eligible for a part-time TAP award. (Matriculated students are not eligible for part-time TAP for non-degree programs)

TAP Points
As with students working towards an associate’s degree, students are limited to 36 TAP points, which is the equivalent to 6 full time semesters. A student who uses 12 TAP points (equivalent to 2 full time semesters), will only have 4 additional full time semesters remaining if they chose to pursue an associate’s degree

Students from mixed status families are now eligible to apply for NYS financial aid without completing the FAFSA, by going to https://www.hesc.ny.gov/altpath. Students may also reach out to the Financial Aid Office to learn more about their options to apply for NYS aid.

Please note: this is not an alternative to FAFSA, and students who choose to take this route will not be eligible for federal aid.

Excelsior Scholarship

The Excelsior Scholarship, in combination with other student financial aid programs, allows students to attend a SUNY or CUNY college tuition-free. 

The Excelsior Scholarship provides a tuition scholarship to students from families earning $125,000 or less in adjusted combined federal household income per year.

The Excelsior Scholarship is a "last dollar" scholarship, so all federal, state, institutional and non-institutional sources of grant or scholarship funding will be subtracted from CCC tuition to calculate the award amount, meaning any aid that can be used to pay tuition will reduce the Excelsior Scholarship award.

Eligibility Requirements:

NYS Residency & Citizenship:

  • Legal resident of New York State and
  • U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen

Income & Financial:

  • Combined federal adjusted gross income (AGI) must be $125,000 or less.
  • HESC will verify AGI through the NYS Tax and Finance Department.
  • Must be in good standing on student loan(s) made under NYS or federal education loan programs.

Academic Requirements:

  • Graduated from a High School in the U.S.; earned a GED or passed a federally approved "Ability to Benefit" test.
  • Students must be enrolled in at least 12 credits per semester that go toward their degree program
  • Students must complete a total of 30 non-remedial credits toward degree program per year. Summer session can be used to complete the 30 credits required; however, the Excelsior scholarship is not available during the summer session.
  • Students must be in good academic standing, earn a passing grade in all coursework to maintain eligibility for the scholarship.
  • If attended college prior to the 2024-2025 academic year, student must have earned at least 30 credits each year (successively), applicable toward their degree program prior to applying for an Excelsior Scholarship.
  • Continuous enrollment without any pauses in enrollment. A pause in enrollment or a reduction in the required credits is only allowable in limited circumstances.

Post-Graduation Requirements:

  • Recipients must agree to reside in New York State for the same length of time the award was received and 
  • If employed during such time, be employed in New York State
  • If the student moves out of New York State before completing the residency requirement, all or part of the award received will be converted to a no-interest loan.
  • The scholarship does not revert to a loan if the student becomes ineligible and loses the scholarship during their undergraduate work prior to graduation.

Regaining Eligibility:

  • A student cannot regain eligibility if they lose the scholarship during their undergraduate study. There are some allowable interruptions listed in the statute.
  • If you need to appeal the status of your Excelsior Scholarship due to a break in attendance or failure to complete the required number of credits, please complete the Excelsior Scholarship Eligibility Determination Form. 
  • If you need to appeal the status of your Excelsior Scholarship because your federal adjusted gross income was adversely affected due to a disability, divorce or separation, or the death of a parent or spouse, please visit the HESC website and review the information for completing the Income Eligibility Determination Form.

Application Process:

  • The Excelsior Scholarship Application can be found on the HESC website.
  • Students applying for the Excelsior Scholarship must also complete the FAFSA and the TAP application for the same academic year.

 

Private Education Loans

Sometimes referred to as alternative loans, these types of loans are meant to cover the portion of a student's cost of attendance that federal, state and/or campus financial aid did not cover. Students are encouraged to utilize federal loans before borrowing a private education loan as federal loans are generally more beneficial to the student. 

Private education loans are provided by a bank or lending institution. Students may contact the lender of their choice to apply for a private education loan. Corning Community College does not maintain a preferred lender list; however, we will certify any approved private education loan from any lender requesting certification of an approved loan.