Eligibility

Financial Eligibility Requirements

The following eligibility requirements must be met before you can receive any type of financial assistance. Additionally, some forms of federal, state and institutional awards have specific criteria – please review SUNY Cortland Financial Aid Terms and Conditions for more information.

Academic Eligibility Requirements:

• Enroll in credits that count toward your degree program.
• Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress.
• Enroll in a sufficient number of credit hours each semester. Your financial aid is calculated based on credit hours enrolled and completed. Federal and NYS financial aid eligibility will be adjusted if credit hour requirements are not met.
• Declare major by 57 credits (beginning of junior year).

General Eligibility Requirements:

• Enroll in an eligible degree or certificate program at SUNY Cortland.
• Be a U.S. Citizen, permanent resident or eligible non citizen.
• Have a high school diploma, GED/TASC or completed a high school education in a homeschool setting approved under state law.
• Have not defaulted on a federal education loan or owe a repayment on a federal grant at SUNY Cortland or any other institution.
• Have not borrowed in excess of the federal aggregate loan limit.
• Provide all requested information to the financial aid office.
• Use financial aid for educational purposes only.

Eligibility for financial aid depends on your expected family contribution determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), the student's year in college, enrollment status (full-time or part-time), and the cost of attendance to attend SUNY Cortland.

The cost of attendance used by the Financial Aid Office is an estimate of direct/billed costs of tuition and fees along with room and meals (if residing in college owned housing), as well as indirect/non-billed expenses such as estimates for books/supplies, personal expenses and transportation. Your actual charges may vary depending on living arrangement (on or off campus), specific course fees and enrollment status.

For the 2023-2024 aid year the SUNY Cortland COA for full-time undergraduate students includes estimated costs for the following:

Books/Supplies $1200

Personal Expenses $2250

Transportation $800

Please visit the Student Accounts website for tuition rates for the 2023-2024 aid year broken down by undergraduate/graduate, resident/non-resident, and living on/off campus.

General eligibility requirements are applicable to all types of financial aid, however each source of funding has additional eligibility requirements. Individual award eligibility requirements are listed on the types of aid page.