Want more financial aid? Here’s why filling out the FAFSA early is critical

You’ve done the work. You’ve got the grades. You’ve narrowed down your list of potential schools (come on, Medgar Evers College has to fit in there, right?!). But there is a million-dollar question left — how do you pay for it all? (OK, at Medgar, it’s not a million dollars…)

There’s a five-letter acronym that is one part your best friend, one part your arch enemy (for now). 

FAFSA.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid is your ticket to the financial support you need to chase your dreams.

Overwhelmed yet? You’re not alone.

At Medgar Evers College we are committed to your well-being, and we’ve got experts in the Office of Financial Aid (located on the first floor of our student services building) that can walk you through the entire process.

You can reach out to us via email at finaid@mec.cuny.edu or set up an appointment here. We can also be reached via phone at (718) 270-6141.

OK, when is the FAFSA deadline?

The federal deadline to submit the FAFSA is June 30, 2024 for school year 2023-24. The FAFSA application must be completed on time to be considered for federal student aid. States and colleges also use FAFSA to award their own financial aid packages.

You must complete the FAFSA application on time to be considered for federal and state student aid. 

Early FAFSA submission is the key to ensuring students get access to as many funds as possible. In regards to income tax filings, 2021 state and federal tax filings are applied to the 2023-24 academic school year. For the 2024-25 school year, you must use the 2022 federal and state tax returns, as this is a key component involved in processing FAFSA forms.The Medgar Evers College Federal School Code is 010097. The Medgar Evers College State School Code (TAP) is 1415.

Federal Student Aid offers grants, loans, work-study and more to help students pay for college or career school.

The core mission of Medgar Evers College’s Office of Financial Aid’s is to ensure that all eligible students enrolled at Medgar Evers College apply and benefit from both Federal and State Financial assistance for education beyond high school. Among the programs students can apply to are TAP (Tuition Assistance Program), the Excelsior Scholarship and work-study. In order to apply for TAP and the Excelsior Scholarship in the 2024-25 academic school year, students must apply via the NYS Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC). We strongly urge that you visit the Medgar Evers College Financial Aid Office for assistance. 

So, who qualifies for federal aid?

That’s a good question, so we’ve broken it down into as-simple-as-we-can terms.

In order to receive federal student financial aid, students must meet the following criteria:

• Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) in college 
• Be a U.S. citizen or an eligible non-citizen (Green Card holder)
• Have a valid Social Security number
• Have a high school diploma or GED
• Be enrolled or accepted for enrollment as a matriculated student in an eligible degree or certificate program
• Provide consent and approval to have your federal tax information transferred directly into your 2024-25 FAFSA form if you’re applying for aid for July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025
• Have signed the certification statement stating that: 1) they are not in default on a federal student loan and do not owe money on a federal student grant and 2) federal student aid will only be used for educational purposes

Again, if you have questions about your eligibility or how to go about filling out your application, don’t hesitate to reach out!

Call (718-270-6141) or email (finaid@mec.cuny.edu) 

We’re here for you!