Apply for Aid
Families may need to explore financial aid in the form of grants, loans, scholarships and work study to help finance their college student’s education. Binghamton University’s Office of Financial Aid Services is committed to helping you and your family evaluate your options.
How do you apply for aid?
The first thing you need to know are these five letters: F-A-F-S-A. They stand for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. FAFSA is the federal form that’s used to determine the amount a family should be able to pay for college. It’s definitely worth filling out a FAFSA online, even if you don’t think you’re eligible for need-based aid.
Why?
Because it’s the only way to potentially land a piece of the more than $80 billion the federal government annually provides in grants, (3.1.10.3.1) loans (3.1.10.3.2) and work-study programs (3.1.10.3.3) to college students.
Benefit at Binghamton University by completing the FAFSA
Based on your successful completion of the FAFSA, you may be eligible for:
• Grants – money that does not have to be repaid (3.1.10.3.1)
• Loans -- borrowed money that must be repaid (3.1.10.3.2)
• Federal work-study -- money earned by working a part-time job on or off campus (3.1.10.3.3)
• Scholarships (3.1.10.3.4)
Important: If your parents or guardians do not have their tax information ready, they can simply estimate and then update later with actual amounts.
Binghamton University’s FAFSA school cod is 002836.
Binghamton University’s TAP school code for undergraduates is 0880. The TAP school code for graduate students is 5450.
Deadlines
February 1 is the priority deadline for filing the FAFSA. Students planning to enter in the spring term should file by November 15. If you miss these deadlines, you can still file. However, funding for need-based financial aid is limited, and is offered on a first-come, first-served basis.
Students planning to enroll during the spring semester should file by November 15.
New York state residents -- “TAP” into additional aid
If you’re a resident of New York state, you may apply for the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) awards. After filing your FAFSA, you will be able to link directly to the TAP application from your FAFSA confirmation page.
