Frequently Asked Questions

Financial Aid is money and/or grants provided by the federal and state governments, colleges and private organizations to help you and your family to pay for college costs. It includes scholarships, grants, loans, and employment opportunities.

• General eligibility requirements include:
• Must be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen (permanent resident)
• Must have a social security number
• Must have a high school diploma or a general education development certificate (GED)
• Must be registered with selective service (males between 18 & 26 years old)
• Must be enrolled or accepted for enrollment as a student working towards a degree or certificate in an eligible program of study
• May not have eligibility suspended or terminated due to a drug-related conviction.
• May not be in default on a federal student loan
• May not owe repayment of a federal grant
• Must be making satisfactory academic progress as defined by the school

A Pell Grant is a grant awarded from the federal government. A Federal Pell Grant, unlike a loan, does not have to be repaid. Pell Grants are awarded only to undergraduate students who have not earned a bachelor's or professional degree (A professional degree would include a degree in a field such as medicine, law, or dentistry). Click here for more info.

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) is awarded to undergraduate students with the lowest Expected Family Contributions (EFCs) and gives priority to students who receive Federal Pell Grants. An FSEOG doesn’t have to be paid back. You can receive between $100 and $600 a year, depending on when you apply, your level of need, the availability of funds, and the Office of Financial Aid policies. If you are eligible you must maintain enrollment of at least six billable equated credits. Click here for more info.

The Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) helps eligible New York State residents attending in-state postsecondary institutions pay for tuition. Depending on the academic year in which the student began study, annual TAP awards can be as much as 100% of the tuition cost. Because TAP is a grant, it does not have to be paid back. Click here for more info.

Part Time TAP (PTAP) is a New York State program that allows eligible CUNY students to receive TAP payments for part-time study. To receive a PTAP award, you must have enrolled as a first time CUNY freshman in the fall of 2006 or later and have earned 24 or more degree credits with at least a 2.00 cumulative GPA. Your PTAP award will be based on your part-time credit load and will be calculated as a proportional fraction of your calculated full-time award. Click here for more info.

Aid for Part-Time Study (APTS)-This program provides grant assistance for eligible part-time students who may not be eligible to receive PTAP. Awards provide up to $85 per credit. To qualify for an APTS, students must enroll part-time (6 to 11 credits equated/billable credits per semester) and not have used up TAP eligibility. Click here for more info.

College Discovery (CD) is a special program for educationally and economically disadvantaged students. Students accepted into the College Discovery program and determined eligible may receive money to pay for books and school fees. The CUNY office of Admissions will choose the students to be admitted into the program by a lottery system. For more information, please visit the College Discovery Office on the first floor of the Savoy Manor Building, Room D-101U or call (718) 518-4486. Click here for more info.

Awards for the academic year will depend on program funding. The maximum award for the 2016-17 academic year is $5,814.00 of PELL and $4,800.00 of TAP for Hostos Community College. The amount awarded will depend on your financial need and your cost of attendance which is calculated by government standards.

As of July 1^st 2012, new federal regulations (Lifetime Eligibility Used)  states the amount of Federal Pell Grant funds a student may receive over a lifetime is limited to 12 payments (600%) as a full time student (or its equivalent for part-time study), which is the equivalent of six years of full time Pell. Each payment disbursed as a full time student will be counted as 50%. This applies to previous, current and future students.

For detailed information go to on Pell Lifetime eligibility payments: http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/PellLimit.jsp.

You can track your remaining Pell Grant eligibility on NSLDS.ed.gov (National Student Loan Data Base) by logging on with your Federal Pin Number and clicking on the “Financial Aid Review” button.

TAP will allow up to six payments in a community college to a student who is enrolled full-time (or its equivalent for part-time study), and two more full time payments in a four year college.  A student is allowed eight total of full-time TAP payments.  All unused TAP payments can be used at a four year college, not exceeding eight total full time payments.

Students must also maintain academic progress and follow the general eligibility guidelines for qualifying for any Financial Aid.

After your tuition and fees have been paid or met, you may use the remaining Pell funds to purchase books or other school materials. You can receive a "Book Voucher" deposited for use at the Hostos College Book Store (Barnes & Noble) or you can receive a "Pell Book Advance" deposited to your CUNY pre-paid card, direct deposited to your bank account, check mailed to your house, so you can purchase your books at any location. To be Eligible for the Pell Book Advance or Book Voucher Students must:

• Have filed a FAFSA and be eligible for the Pell Grant
• Have registered for classes and have your bill cleared for the semester you will be attending
• Have remaining Pell Grant funds of at least $50 after tuition and fee charges are met
• Complete a Bookstore Purchases Authorization form and return it to the Business Office (room B-106, Savoy D-Building) if you wish to use your Pell advance money electronically at the Hostos Book Store instead of receiving a Pell advance check or direct deposit payment
• Meet the deadlines

The Federal Work-Study (FWS) Program is a federally funded financial aid program available to citizens or permanent residents of the United States. To be eligible, students must (1) receive a Federal Work-Study allocation as a part of their financial package and (2) be enrolled at least half-time or have been accepted for such enrollment. Hostos Community College operates an open market student employment system that allows you to make direct contact with the employer (supervisor). Hundreds of jobs are available in departments throughout the College and at agencies approved to participate in our off-campus FWS program.

Positions are available throughout the college in various academic departments and offices. There are some positions in agencies outside of the school that participate in the work-study program.

Generally work-study employees earn minimum wage which beginning December 31 2016 will be $11.00 per hour.

A work-study employee can work up to 20 hours per week until their approved budget amount is reached.

To apply for a FWS award, on your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) application, you must select “Yes” where you are asked if interested in work study.

You can use your FSA ID to:

• File your Renewal FAFSA online application
• Use the IRS data retrieval link to transfer data from the IRS to your FAFSA application
• Sign your FAFSA electronically
• View your processed information and access Student Aid Report (SAR)
• Make corrections to your application information
• Access the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) website and view information about other federal student aid you may have received
• Electronically sign a master promissory note
• Access your Direct Loan account through Direct Loan Servicing
• Click here for more info.

The FAFSA application in English and Spanish is filled on-line and available at the “www.fafsa.ed.gov” website.

You will need income information and some personal information to complete an application.  A person considered a Dependent student under the Financial Aid guidelines will need to provide their parent’s information as well. The year for which you need to provide income will depend on the academic year you are applying for. For example, if you are applying for the Fall 2016 – Spring 2017 & the Fall 2017 – Spring 2018 academic years, you will need to provide all income for the year 2015. 

You may still qualify for financial aid even if taxes were not filed, but you must have proof of income in order to determine if you qualify.

Note: 2014 I.R.S. regulations require that any one person who makes at least $10,150.00 during that year must file an income tax form.

These questions are used to determine, whether you are a dependent or an independent student for the Fall 2016 – Spring 2017  (July 1, 2016 - June 30, 2017) academic year.

• Were you born before January 1, 1993?
• As of today, are you married?
•  At the beginning of the 2016-2017 school year, will you be working on a master's or doctorate program?
•  Are you currently serving on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces for 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 between July 1st 2016 and June 30th 2017?
•  Do you have dependents (other than your children or spouse) who live with you and who receive more than have of their support from you, now and through June 30th 2017?
•  At any time since you turned age 13, were both your parents deceased, were you in foster care or were you a dependent or 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 on or after July 2015, 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 2015, 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 2015, 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?

 
 
These questions are used to determine, whether you are a dependent or an independent student for the FALL 2017 - SPRING 2018 (July 1, 2017 - June 30, 2018) academic year.

• Were you born before January 1, 1994?
• As of today, are you married?
•  At the beginning of the 2017-2018 school year, will you be working on a master's or doctorate program?
•  Are you currently serving on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces for 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 between July 1st 2017 and June 30th 2018?
• Do you have dependents (other than your children or spouse) who live with you and who receive more than have of their support from you, now and through June 30th 2018?
• At any time since you turned age 13, were both your parents deceased, were you in foster care or were you a dependent or 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 on or after July 2016, 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 2016, 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 2016, 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?

Under Financial Aid regulations, you are considered a DEPENDENT student unless you can answer "yes" to one or more of the above questions. If you are considered a dependent student, in order to process your financial aid application, must provide your information and your parent’s information regardless:

• if your parent does or does not live with the you,
• if your parent does or does not live in the United States
• if your parent’s income was earned in dollars or not
• if your parent does or does not provide you with financial support,
• if your parent did or did not claim you on their tax forms,
• if your parent does or does not file taxes,

 
*If you have a special or unusual circumstance, speak to a Financial Aid counselor.

With your PIN #, you can sign on to your account on the FAFSA website add or change schools on your FAFSA application.

If you decide not to attend school, your approved financial aid amount will not be used. Keep in mind if you withdraw a class after the semester has officially begun, you may be penalized by financial aid and billed by your school for a portion of your class/classes.

If you receive a "Verification Sheet", it is because you have been selected to have your information reviewed by the financial aid office. This could occur due to an error, missing information, inconsistent or conflicting information on your application. You may also have been randomly selected by the federal government to be reviewed by financial aid. If you receive a verification sheet, you must correctly fill out the information on both sides of the form including the required signatures, and hand it in with all the documents needed to apply for financial aid. Other documents may be asked to be handed depending on the student’s case. Those with special or unusual circumstances should also include documents for proof of their case.

An "ISIR/Change form" is a form used to input any information that needs to be changed or corrected on your application. You must have the names, signatures, and comments (if necessary), filled out on both sides of the form and hand it in along with your Verification form and necessary documents to the Financial Aid office. Do not fill out the shaded area on the change form unless you know what needs to be changed.

Note: The Financial Aid office cannot accept any documents that have “white out” or have been scribbled on. Make sure you read carefully before writing on the Verification and ISAR forms.

To lear more about the Verification Process, please click here.

You may not have any penalties incurred on you if you fail a course, however TAP will not pay for a repeated course. Keep in mind that you must meet the academic progress guidelines in order to continue to receive grants.

An application is used for the fall and spring semesters of that academic year you are applying for. However, applications for the following academic year will be available on-line the following January. It is always suggested that you apply as early as possible to avoid long lines that students have to wait on when applying "at the last minute".

You must be out of default and have previous bills paid in any school in order to be eligible to receive financial aid.

Continuing education is not considered an academic program and therefore does not meet the qualifications to be paid for by financial aid. However, you may be eligible for some tuition assistance. Click here for more info.

Pell award amounts are based on the amount of credits you have registered. If you withdraw classes during the semester, your Pell award may be adjusted downward to reflect your new enrollment status. All course withdrawals recorded on your permanent record may affect your eligibility to meet Federal Satisfactory Progress. You may also incur penalties If you were awarded a TAP grant. If you are currently registered for classes and are considering partial or full withdrawal, be sure to check with a Financial Aid advisor.

The Financial Aid office at Hostos Community college can provide you with assistance with questions you do not understand on the application. There also is a computer “Micro-lab” room available for application purposes only. You will need to have with you all the required documents for applying.

TO VIEW YOUR AWARDS ONLINE, YOUR FINANCIAL AID APPLICATION MUST BE PROCESSED AND HAVE NO ISSUES.
 

The student is responsible for the tuition amount that is not covered by Financial Aid.  Students should view the deadline for full tuition payment to avoid their classes being dropped.

Note:
Allow time for recalculation of your awards if you recently made changes to your enrollment such as a withdrawal, addition, or any cancelation of classes.

Your admissions process has to be complete in order to view your awards on line.
*For further help with your CUNY Portal or CUNYfirst Account, you can visit the Academic Computing Center (room C-595, 718-518-6622).

The information you submit on your FAFSA is processed with a formula that has been developed by Congress to determine your Expected Family Contribution. The EFC is a number which is a measure of your financial strength and used to determine your federal student aid eligibility. Colleges use this number to determine the amount and kind of financial aid package they will offer you.
The formula calculates the EFC by taking into account:

• Your total family income and benefits
• Tax-filing status
• The number of people in your family
• The number of family members in college
• Some of your family's assets
• The formula recognizes that only a portion of your and your family's income and assets may be considered available for educationally related expenses

Click here to view a Pell Award Chart. Once you know your EFC number, you can refer to this chart to know how much PELL you will qualify for.

This is a down payment required for students who want to be advised and registered during the early registration period.

Below are some bullets regarding this policy:

• Applies to ALL Freshman, Transfer, International, and Undocumented students
• Continuing students are not required to pay the deposit
• Students must pay the deposit only once unless they plan to transfer to another CUNY college
• Deposit is Non-refundable
• The deposit will be applied to their tuition
• For transfer students, they will also have the ability to be evaluated earlier
• If student does not pay the deposit, they will have to register for classes during the regular registration period

For more information, contact the Admission's Office (718) 518-4405.
For information regarding registration dates, contact the Registrar’s Office (718) 518-6771.

Using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool

The IRS Data Retrieval Tool allows you and your parents to transfer tax information from IRS tax records directly to your FAFSA. If you & your parents have indicated on your FAFSA that you have already filed your taxes, you will be given the option to use this tool when completing the financial information portion of the application. Using this option minimizes errors and also minimizes your chances of getting selected for verification in which you may have to submit additional information to the Financial Aid Office after your application is processed.

Please Note:

• Electronically filed tax return information will be available online from the IRS site in 1-2 weeks after your return is filed.
• Data from paper tax returns will be available in 6-8 weeks .
• There are 2separate Financial Information sections on the FAFSA.  You will use this tool for the Student Financial Information section and your parents will use the tool for the Parent Financial Information section.

To use this option you must:

• Have a federal tax return filed with the IRS
• Have a valid social security number
• Have a Federal Aid Personal Identification Number (PIN)

Some tax filers may not be able to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool and will have to enter their data from their own tax records.  You or your parents will not be offered the data retrieval option if:

• Your marital status changes after December 31 of the same tax year
• You filed married filing separately
• You filed an amended return
• You filed a foreign tax return
• You recently (within two weeks) filed taxes

Using this option will transfer you to the IRS Web site, you will be prompted to enter information as it appears on your tax return.  It is important that you complete this section exactly as it appears on your tax return or your information may not match with IRS records and the data retrieval may not go through.

Please click here for more information.

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