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Home: Financing Your Education: Graduate Students

Graduate Students

Applying for Financial Aid for 2009-2010

(Summer 2009, Fall 2009, Spring 2010)

Your first, vital step in applying for financial aid is filling out both a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and a state financial aid. Here are the steps:
There are two ways you may apply for a Federal and State financial aid 2009-2010 application:

Applying for Federal program:
If you have filed an electronic FAFSA application for 2009-2010 you will only need to complete a renewal application. For assistance filling the application you may download a copy of 2009-2010 Pre-Application Worksheet to help guild your answers before entering them on actual electronic FAFSA renewal application. It will also speed the process and reduce errors. You will need to re-activate your PIN number based on the following recommendations:

These changes have been made to ensure the security of the PIN process and to remind you of the importance of safeguarding your PIN. Your PIN serves as your electronic signature and provides access to your personal records, and it is critical that it remain as secure as possible."
The Brooklyn College Title IV or School code is: 002687

FAFSA Application Process:
Upon receipt of your completed Renewal or new FAFSA (approximately three weeks after filing) the University Application Processing Center will send to you a letter indicating if additional documentation is needed in order to complete your application. This process called Verification. Verification may require that you document reported income, U.S. taxes paid, family household size, and the number of family members in college. Additionally you may be required to validate reported Social Security Number, citizenship status, selective service, and/or immigration and naturalization status. Any and all requested documentation should be submitted to the Office of Financial Aid for review and corrections. We urge you not to submit corrections on your own as additional changes may be necessary and we can expedite these corrections.

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INDEPENDENT VERIFICATION WORKSHEETS FOR 2009-2010

Applying for State program:
In addition to federal financial aid, New York state residents may be eligible for the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP).
When you have completed the FAFSA on the Web (FOTW), the confirmation page will give you a link to the TAP on the Web (TOTW) application for New York State financial aid. Before completing the TAP application, you will be asked to establish a PIN (personal identification number) for TAP. This PIN will allow you to complete your application later, access your application information, or make changes.

After establishing your PIN, you will be able to complete your TAP application . The TAP online form will be pre-filled with some of the information from the FAFSA you completed online. Review this data, supply any missing information, and submit the form. Follow the instructions provided.

Tap school code for graduate students: 5205

If you choose not to apply online, HESC will mail you an Express TAP Application (ETA). Information from your FAFSA and your family’s calculated NYS net taxable income will be preprinted on your ETA.  Review this information; change any incorrect items, complete any missing items, then sign and mail the form using the return envelop.

If you provide an e-mail address on your FAFSA, HESC will use that address to contact you about your TAP application, give you processing updates, or award information. Please respond to any requests or instructions sent by HESC.

State Assistance:
The New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) is an entitlement program for students who meet all eligibility requirements.  The maximum annual graduate award is $550.  The minimum annual award is $100.  The general requirements for TAP are that a student must be:

The New York State Higher Education Services Corporation produce specific award schedules each year.  Academic Progress and program Pursuit Standards for State awards are printed in the Student Class Schedule each semester.  Copies may be obtained on the school website.

Federal program requirements:

Cost of education for 9 months at Brooklyn College:
The following estimates of costs for graduate students for the 2008-2009 academic year may help students determine if they need assistance.  The estimates are based on full-time study  (12 credits) for New York residents who do not live with their parents while attending school.

Tuition and fees	$6,400
Books and Supplies	$1,016
Transportation	$850
Housing	$7,425
Food	$2,776
Miscellaneous	$3,676
Total	$22,143

Most graduate students fund their education at Brooklyn College through a Federal Direct Loan programs.  After filing your FAFSA you may visit the Direct Loan Department for downloading a direct loan application, instructions and procedures.

Federal Direct Loan Programs:

The Federal William D. Ford Direct Loan Programs allow eligible students to borrow money directly from the federal government.  These programs include the subsidized, unsubsidized and Grad plus loans.
Under the Federal Direct Loan Programs, a student may borrow up to $20,500 depending on eligibility for each academic year of graduate or professional-degree study up to an aggregate of $138,000, including any loans for undergraduate study.  The loans carry a variable interest rate that currently is capped at 8.25%.  Repayment of loans begins six months after a student ceases to be enrolled at least half-time (6 credits) matriculated.

The Federal Perkins Loan Program is a federal campus-based aid program designed to provide additional assistance to the neediest of students.  Students who are in good standing and enrolled for at least six credits will automatically be considered for a Perkins loan based on the timely completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.  Eligible students may borrow up to a total of $30,000 including undergraduate Perkins loans.  Awards are based on the availability of funds and the financial need of the applicant.  The average Perkins Loan awarded at Brooklyn College is $1,500 per year.

Repayment and accrual of interest on the unpaid balance do not begin until six months after a student ceases to be enrolled in school at least halftime (6 credits).  Interest on the loan is 5 percent, and repayment may be extended over ten years depending on the size of the loan.  Borrowers who enter certain fields of teaching or specified military duty may qualify for partial or full cancellation of the loan.  For more details on repayment, deferment, or cancellation options please contact the Office of Financial Aid.

The Federal Work Study Program is an employment program that pays eligible students in good academic standing an hourly wage for work done for the college or public or other nonprofit agencies.  A student may work 6 to 20 hours a week while enrolled on a full-time basis.