Applying for financial aid can be a confusing process as there are multiple steps and several places to seek aid assistance (federal, state, college, and local sources of aid are available if you spend time going through the process). Utilize the links on this page to gather trusted information.

Financial Aid Completion Sessions:

Clinton Community College will also host a SUNY financial aid information and completion workshop for 12th grade families on Saturday, November 18th from 9am-11am. Go to the SUNY information page to learn more and to register.

Senior families: You may begin applying for financial aid after October 1st with the FAFSA (Federal) , HESC (NY State) Application and CSS Profile (college specific if required)

To view a listing of our local scholarship opportunities, log-in to Google with your student to this scholarship document: 2019-2020 Scholarship Opportunities.

Go to this NYS Higher Education page to follow the steps of applying for Federal, NY State, College Aid.

Valuable & Trusted Resources:

• Excelsior Scholarship: NY's free tuition program at 2-year and 4-year SUNY colleges. Visit this page for full details on qualifications and how to apply.

• Enhanced Tuition Award: Tuition awards to students who are NY State residents attending a participating private college located in NY State. Recipients will receive $6,000 through a combination of their TAP award, ETA award and a match from their private college. Visit this page for details on which colleges are participating.

• Federal Student Aid: Visit this site for details about the types of federal student aid and the steps on how to obtain federal scholarships, grants, and student loans.

• FAFSA: Visit this site when you are ready to begin applying for financial aid for college. All students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) prior to attending college. This document will determine the types and amounts of aid that you will receive.

• FAFSA Completion Document: Use this detailed resource to trouble shoot your questions while completing the FAFSA document.

• FSAID: Visit this site to sign up for your log-in credentials for the FAFSA. This information is required to complete the FAFSA and often takes a bit of time to process.

• Fafsa4Caster: Junior and early high school families, use this tool to get an estimate of the financial aid you could be eligible for.

• College Board Financial Aid Profile (CSS Profile): Some colleges require families to submit additional financial documentation through this website.

• HESC: Visit this site to access New York State financial aid grants, scholarships, and aid programs.

• College Financial Award Letters: Use this comparison tool once you have received all of your financial aid award letters from colleges to compare the awards and costs.

• Ed.Gov: A U.S. Department of Education site to find an answer to questions about colleges, financial aid, education laws, and data

• HomeRoom: The official Blog of the U.S. Department of Education with helpful articles regarding financial aid tips, financial aid mistakes to avoid, etc.

• College Scorecard: Information about a particular college’s costs, the average amount it’s students borrow, and graduation rates.

• Net Price Calculator Center: This site provides a tool to help you explore the net price of any given college and uses your grades and activities to determine which scholarships you might be eligible for.

• US Department of Education: College Affordability & Transparency Center: An excellent site for finding the places to compare and understand the net cost of colleges and universities.

• SUNY Smart Track Empowered Financial Planning: A great resource for students and families to gain insight into the financial world of saving and paying for college.

• Fastweb: Visit this scholarship search engine to learn about scholarships that you might qualify for.

• JLV College Counseling Scholarship Database: Visit this site to view a scholarship database grouped by deadline month or specific qualifying criteria. Sign up for the weekly newsletter to receive important college planning information.

• Raise Me: Get scholarships from colleges for your achievements in high school.