To be eligible for a Federal Pell Grant and most other types of federal student aid, you must:

• Complete a FAFSA application
• Demonstrate financial need
• Have a high school diploma, a GED, or have been home-schooled
• Be matriculated in a degree-seeking program
• Be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident or other eligible classification of non-citizen
• Have a valid Social Security number
• Meet Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) for Federal Student Aid Programs

• The FAFSA is the application that is used for federal government grants
• Be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident or other eligible classification of non-citizen
• Be registered for at least six credits
• Must be Pell eligible
• Be matriculated in a degree-seeking program
• Available to students who have not completed a Bachelor’s Degree
• Make Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) for Federal Student Aid Programs
• Must be willing to verify the information you provide on the FAFSA
• May not possess or sell illegal drugs while receiving financial aid
• May not be in default on a previous federal student loan or owe the federal government a refund of financial aid previously received

To be eligible for a TEACH Grant, you must do the following:

• Meet the basic eligibility criteria for the federal student aid programs
• Complete the FAFSA form
• Enrolled as a graduate student in a TEACH-Grant-eligible program
• Have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25 (on a 4.0 scale) on undergraduate coursework; OR Score above the 75th percentile on a college admissions test (e.g. SAT, ACT, or GRE). You will be required to provide documentation of your test scores in accordance with Graduate Admissions Office procedures.
• Receive TEACH Grant counseling that explains the terms and conditions of the TEACH Grant service obligation. You must complete counseling each year that you receive a TEACH Grant.
• As a condition for receiving a TEACH Grant, you must sign a TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve in which you agree to (among other requirements) teach:
  • • In a high-need field;
    • At an elementary school, secondary school, or educational service agency that serves students from low-income families; and
    • For at least four complete academic years within eight years after completing (or ceasing enrollment in) the course of study for which you received the grant.

• As a continuing graduate student, you must have met the academic criteria for undergraduate coursework or test scores mentioned above. Continuing graduate students must have and maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25 on graduate degree coursework to receive an initial award. TEACH funds will not be disbursed if your GPA falls below a 3.25 during any subsequent semesters.

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To be considered, potential candidates must apply specifically for the TEACH Grant, for the purpose of this grant, eligible master’s degree programs at Queens College fall into seven categories–defined by the federal government as “high-need fields”:

• Mathematics education
• Science education
• Foreign language education
• Bilingual education
• Reading specialist/literacy teacher
• TESOL
• Special education

Schools that participate in the TEACH Grant Program determine which of the programs they offer are TEACH-Grant-eligible. A program that is TEACH-Grant-eligible at one school might not be TEACH-Grant-eligible at another school. Additionally, even if a program meets the eligibility requirements to be a TEACH-Grant-eligible program, it may not be designated as TEACH-Grant-eligible by the school. Contact the financial aid office at the school you are attending (or that you plan to attend) to find out which programs at that school are eligible.

A list of Queens College TEACH grant eligible programs can be found on the Queens College School of Education TEACH Grant website 

Note: If you do not meet the requirements of your service obligation, all TEACH Grants you received will be converted to Direct Unsubsidized Loans. You must repay these loans in full, with interest charged from the date of each TEACH Grant disbursement.

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To apply for the TEACH grant:

1. Be sure to first review the above requirements in addition to confirming you are in an eligible TEACH grant program at Queens College
2. Complete the FAFSA application
3. Complete both the TEACH Grant counseling AND sign a TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve
4. Submit the TEACH Grant application located on the Queens College School of Education TEACH Grant website

TEACH Grant Application Deadlines

For students graduating at the end of the Fall 2024 semester, the application must be submitted by Friday, December 6, 2024.

If students are attending both Fall 2024 and Spring 2025, the application must be submitted by May 2, 2025.

For more information or questions, you may contact Ms. Nandy Sukhai at Nandy.Sukhai@qc.cuny.edu.

To be eligible for APTS, you must:

• Enroll part-time (3-11 credits) as matriculated students in approved undergraduate degree programs or registered certificate programs at degree-granting institutions in New York State
• Meet the program income limits
• Be New York State residents and either United States citizens or qualifying non-citizens
• Not have used up Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) eligibility
• Maintain good academic standing
• Not be in default on any Federal or State student loan or on any repayment of state awards
• You must maintain a “C” average after having received the equivalent of two full years of payment of State-sponsored student financial aid
• Have graduated from high school in the United States, or earned a high school equivalency diploma by passing the Test Assessing Secondary Completion (TASC), formally known as GED, or passed a federally approved “Ability to Benefit” test as defined by the Commissioner of the State Education Department

Note: To apply for APTS, students must complete the TAP application, and the CUNY Supplement form located in the Student Center on CUNYfirst. All applications must be completed by the established deadline to be considered for the APTS award. You can complete the Supplement form by doing the following:

1. Log into your CUNYfirst account
2. Click on Student Center tile
3. Click on Financial Aid tile
4. On the left hand side, scroll down and click on the Supplement form link
5. Complete the form and submit

Same as the TAP eligibility requirements excluding Good Academic Standing; in addition to meeting the additional requirements below:

• Pursue an undergraduate degree at a SUNY or CUNY college
• Earn 30 or more credits per year towards their program(s) of study*
• Declaration of major when reaching 60 accumulated credits – a student must declare or change their major/minor no later than the last day of the add/drop period in the first term of your junior year
• Be on track to graduate on time with an Associate’s Degree in two years or a Bachelor’s Degree in four years

*Excelsior Scholarship requires that a student must register for the minimum of 12 credits and must earn at least 30 credits each academic year, including winter and summer credits.

You may check the HESC website for more information on the Excelsior Scholarship and when the application will be available.

To be eligible for Part – Time TAP, you must:

• Be an undergraduate student
• Be a legal resident of New York State (that is, you must have lived in the state for at least one year prior to the first term for which you are seeking payment)
• Be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or other eligible non-citizen
• Be matriculated (enrolled in a program leading to a degree)
• Be enrolled part time, that is, enrolled for at least 6 – 11 credits 
• Remain in good academic standing for New York State financial aid programs by meeting academic progress standards and demonstrating program pursuit each semester you receive TAP
• Maintain a cumulative Grade Point Average of 2.0 or higher
• Be charged at least $200 tuition per year
• Meet income eligibility limitations
• Must not be in default on any state or federal student loan
• Be in compliance with the terms of any service condition imposed by a NYS award

To learn more, please visit the HESC website

To be eligible for TAP, you must:

• Be an undergraduate student
• Be a legal resident of New York State (that is, you must have lived in the state for at least one year prior to the first term for which you are seeking payment)
• Be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or other eligible non-citizen
• Study at an approved postsecondary institution in New York State
• Be matriculated (enrolled in a program leading to a degree)
• Be enrolled full-time, that is, enrolled for at least 12 credits* or equated credits that meet the requirements of your curriculum/major
• Have declared a major no later than the last day of the add/drop period in the first term of your junior year (60 credits or more) in an approved 4-year program
• Remain in good academic standing for New York State financial aid programs by meeting academic progress standards and demonstrating program pursuit each semester you receive TAP
• Have at least a cumulative “C” average after receipt of two annual payments
• Be charged at least $200 tuition per year
• Meet income eligibility limitations
• Have a high school diploma from a U.S. high school, a recognized GED certificate, or receive a passing score on an approved ability-to-benefit test as defined by the commissioner of the State Education Department
• Must not be in default on any state or federal student loan
• Be in compliance with the terms of any service condition imposed by a NYS award

*Up to the equivalent of six semester hours in remedial, noncredit study can be included as part of the minimum semester full-time course load, except that in the first semester of postsecondary study, a student’s minimum full-time course load need include only three semester hours of credit-bearing coursework.

If you attended or graduated from an NYS high school, attended an approved NYS high school equivalency program, or received an NYS equivalency diploma, you may be eligible for state financial aid.

The DREAM Act opens the doors of higher education and provides access to the Excelsior Scholarship, the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) and other state‐administered scholarships.

To review your eligibility and to learn more, please visit the HESC website

To receive SEEK funding, students must complete both the FAFSA and TAP applications and must register as a full-time student. Students who are ineligible to complete a FAFSA must complete the NYS Dream Act application. Admission into the SEEK program is part of the CUNY admissions process.

To be eligible for SEEK, you must:

• Be a legal resident of New York State for at least one year prior to entering college
• Be a high school graduate or recipient of a state-approved equivalency diploma
• Be inadmissible according to the admissions criteria established for the CUNY four-year college you want to attend
• Be a first-time freshman or previously enrolled in College Discovery (CD) Program, an Educational Opportunity Program (EOP), or Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP); and
• Have a gross family income that meets the New York State guidelines