Apply for Financial Aid

Please visit SUNY Cortland Undergraduate Admissions or Graduate Admissions to learn more about the process, deadlines and requirements to apply.

The process of applying for financial aid begins with the FAFSA (Free Application For Federal Student Aid), which determines your eligibility for federal financial aid. If you are a New York state resident, you will need to first complete the FAFSA before applying for New York state financial aid (NYS TAP, Excelsior Scholarship). For the 2025-2026 academic year, we recommend completing the FAFSA as soon as possible. 

After you complete FAFSA, you will be prompted to complete the NYS TAP Application (NYS Tuition Assistance Program). We recommend completing the TAP application immediately following the FAFSA. If not, you can complete the TAP application online at tapweb.org.

 If you are a first time undergraduate applicant to SUNY Cortland, complete the NYS Excelsior Scholarship application – the application is available late spring. 

Learn more about eligibility for NYS TAP or the Excelsior Scholarship.

 DACA Students (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) are eligible to apply for NYS Tuition Assistance through the Senator Jose Peralta NY State DREAM Act.

Incoming students (starting fall 2025) can apply for scholarships between January 15 – March 15.

Current students can apply for scholarships November 14 – Feb 1^st.

Apply for SUNY Cortland scholarships.

After you have submitted your FAFSA, the Department of Education may require the student to submit additional documentation in order to determine aid eligibility. This process is called verification. Please check the ‘my financial aid’ section of myRedDragon – any outstanding requirements will be listed under ‘stop action required’. The Financial Aid Office will also email the student at their SUNY Cortland email address to request additional information.

Once accepted to SUNY Cortland, you will be receive your financial aid eligibility online in myRedDragon. First time applicants will also receive financial aid eligibility information in the mail.

To view your financial aid eligibility on myRedDragon:

1. In myRedDragon, click on ‘my financial aid’
2. Review eligibility and accept or decline financial aid

Depending on the type of financial aid you receive, you may have additional requirements to complete. If anything additional is required, the requirements will be listed on myRedDragon.

Check your Cortland email - the financial aid office will also email the student to request additional information as needed.