Types of Grant Programs

Federal Assistance Plans (Title IV)

Matriculated students attending or planning to attend college on a part-time or full-time basis may apply for this Federal grant program. Students should use the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and apply online. The application starts with the Fall semester, continues into the Spring, and ends with the Summer.

The Federal Processor determines the Expected Family Contribution (EFC). In about two to three weeks after filing, a Student Aid Report (SAR), which contains the EFC, will be sent to the student. If an email address is provided the information will be sent via email. The information on the SAR is used to determine the student's eligibility for federal aid, including a Federal Pell Grant. If the award is finalized prior to the date the tuition bill is due, tuition and fees will be reduced by the amount of the Pell award. If the award is finalized after the tuition bill is due, the student will pay the tuition and fees when the bill is due and will be reimbursed later in the school year.

Eligibility for PELL

Eligibility and award amounts are based on need. Congress votes upon the formula used to determine the need each year. Students are notified by the Office of Financial Services about the conditions for receiving Pell payments and how and where these payments can be received. To remain eligible, students must attend classes and continue to make satisfactory academic progress in their chosen program of study.
Note: A student must have achieved at least a 2.00 GPA after two years of attendance at Queensborough. PELL will only pay for a maximum of thirty (30) equated remedial credits, excluding ESL courses.

The amount of Federal Pell Grant you may receive over your lifetime is limited by a new federal law to be the equivalent of 12 full time semesters. If you are attending full time and are eligible for Pell you will receive Pell for 6 years. Since the maximum amount of Pell Grant funding you can receive each year is equal to 100%, the six year equivalent is 600%. In addition, all students who are eligible to receive Pell Grants may receive Pell Grants for up to 12 full time semesters.

Where can I find my lifetime PELL grant used?

You may view your percentage of Pell Grant used by logging into NSLDS website Your “Lifetime Eligibility Used” percentage will be displayed in the “Grants” section. Example: Pell Lifetime Eligibility Used: 400% or 8 terms. How is the percentage used calculated? The percentages are based on the annual full-time award. For example, students who had a Pell award for the 2022-2023 academic year and registered for 12 or more credits in each semester (Fall and Spring), would have used 100% of that year's award. If you only attended 9 credits for two semesters, your percentage used for the academic year would be 75%, etc.

When there are unusual situations or circumstances that impact your federal student aid eligibility, federal regulations give a financial aid administrator discretion or professional judgment on a case-by-case basis and with documentation on behalf of the student, to make adjustments to certain data elements on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

1.  Dependency Override - Dependency overrides require an involuntary dissolution of the family or situations in which it would be harmful for the student to have contact with their parents.  Examples include but are not limited to incarceration, abuse and abandonment.

2.  Income Adjustment - Many FAFSA applicants have experienced recent financial changes due to the COVID_19 emergency or other reasons.  Has your family's financial situation changed from what is reflected on your federal income tax return?  For example, you or your parent(s) may have lost a job or had a drop in income.  If so, you may be elgible for an income adjustment.

 For professional judgement requests, please indicate if you think you have met one of the conditions above by emailing financialaid@qcc.cuny.edu.  Please make sure to put "Professional Judgement" in the subject line of your email along with your student empl id.

FSEOG grants are available to exceptionally needy full-time and part-time (at least half-time) students. These grants range from $200 to $2,000 annually. Students who request work-study or a Federal Perkins Loan on the FAFSA are automatically considered for SEOG. Students must maintain satisfactory academic progress as stated under the PELL program.

Financial Aid Questions? What is a FSEOG? Get video answers below.

The Aid for Part-Time Study (APTS) program, sponsored by the State of New York, was established to provide tuition assistance for part-time matriculated students. The students of Queensborough should apply for TAP using the FAFSA and linking to the New York State Higher Education Services Corporation website, and complete the CUNY Supplement on the CUNYfirst Student Self Service.

Eligibility for APTS

APTS is not an entitlement program. There are limited resources. The institution (CUNY) selects and determines the individual award amounts. To be eligible, students must: (1) be enrolled as a part-time student in an approved undergraduate degree program in New York State (part-time is defined as at least six [6] but no more than eleven [11] equated credits); (2) meet the income limits — if a student is not eligible to be claimed as a tax dependent, the student's net taxable income cannot exceed $34,250; if a student is claimed as tax dependent, the family's net taxable income cannot exceed $50,500; (3) be a New York State resident; (4) be either a U.S. citizen or permanent resident; (5) have a tuition charge of at least $100 per year; and (6) have remaining TAP eligibility.

APTS awards

The money available for all participating institutions is set each year in the State budget. The amount received by a particular college is determined by the school's percentage of the total part-time enrollment at all participating institutions. The number and the amount of awards is determined by the participating institution based on its allocation of funds.