Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for financial aid at Finger Lakes Community College (FLCC), students must first apply for admission to the College.

Eligibility Requirements for Federal Aid

To be eligible for federal financial aid at Finger Lakes Community College, a student must satisfy general eligibility requirements. The financial aid office is responsible for ensuring that each student has met the federal eligibility requirements before awarding federal Title IV funds.

Students are required to:

Be a regular student enrolled or accepted for enrollment in an eligible program at FLCC;
Be a U.S. Citizen or national, or eligible non-citizen;
Have a correct Social Security Number;
Have a high school diploma or recognized equivalent of a high school diploma;
Not be enrolled simultaneously in elementary or secondary school;
Meet Satisfactory Academic Progress;
Not be in default on a Title IV loan or owe a Title IV grant or loan overpayment;
Not have borrowed in excess of annual or aggregate Title IV loan limits;
Not have an Unusual Enrollment History Flag on a Student Aid Report (SAR)
Have financial need;
Sign statements on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) stating that he or she will use Title IV aid only to pay educational expenses and that he or she is not in default on a federal student loan and does not owe money on a federal student grant;
Have repaid Title IV funds obtained fraudulently;
Not have property subject to a judgment lien for a debt owed to the United States.

Individual financial aid programs may have additional eligibility requirements.

Federal Work Study (FWS) Eligibility Requirements

In addition to meeting the general federal eligibility guidelines above, the FWS program also requires the following eligibility requirements:

File the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the current academic year.
Demonstrate financial need as determined by the federal need analysis formula.
Be enrolled or accepted for enrollment in a degree-granting program and registered for at least six (6) credits during each semester in which they work.
Be in good academic standing with the institution and meet Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) requirements as outlined by the Financial Aid Office.
Complete employment forms, including the I-9 Employment Verification Form with Human Resources (HR).
Provide original identification documents prior to working, as required by HR.
Complete additional position-specific screenings (e.g. background checks or fingerprinting).

To maintain professionalism and accountability within the FWS program, FLCC has a three-strike process for no-call, no-shows. Students are expected to report to work when scheduled. If they are unable to work, they must notify their supervisor. Three no-call, no-shows will result in termination from the FWS p

Eligible Programs of Study at FLCC

To be eligible for federal aid at Finger Lakes Community College, students are required to be degree-seeking and must enroll in coursework required for that degree. Non-degree-seeking students are not eligible for federal financial aid.

Students who would like to change the degree they are seeking should contact the One-Stop Center or their Professional Academic Advisor.

Verification of Attendance

Federal regulations require that students earn their financial aid funds by attending and actively participating in courses. Attendance information is collected from faculty to verify financial aid eligibility for both federal and state aid. If a student fails to begin attendance in a course, Finger Lakes Community College is required to reduce the student’s financial aid enrollment level and eligibility. If a student is not attending classes, the student is expected to complete the official withdrawal process of the College. To complete the withdrawal process, contact the One-Stop Center.

Eligibility Requirements for State Aid

The NYS Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC) determines eligibility for most New York State financial aid programs based on applications submitted to, and validated by, HESC. Each NYS aid program has its own eligibility requirements as determined by HESC. The largest NYS financial aid program is the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP). Generally, you are eligible for TAP if:

You are a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen and
You are a legal resident of New York State and have resided in New York State for 12 continuous months.
Graduated from high school in the United States, earned a high school equivalency diploma (GED), or passed a federally approved "Ability to Benefit" test.
You fall under any of the following income limits:
- $125,000 or less net taxable income (NTI):
  - If you are a dependent undergraduate student within a household earning under the income limit or
  - If you are an independent undergraduate student (married or single) with tax dependents or
  - If you are an undergraduate student who qualified as an orphan, foster child, or ward of the court at any time since the age of 13.
- $60,000 or less net taxable income (NTI):
  - If you are an independent undergraduate student (married) without tax dependents.
- $30,000 or less net taxable income (NTI):
  - If you are an independent undergraduate student (single) without tax dependents.
Be in good standing (a non-default status) on a student loan made under any NYS or federal education loan program or on the repayment of any NYS award and
Be in compliance with the terms of the service condition(s) imposed by any NYS award that you have previously received.
Once in college, you must meet the following requirements:
- Attend an approved college in New York State.
- Be in good academic standing.
- Be a full-time student taking 12 or more credits each semester in your program of study.
- Be enrolled in a degree-granting program of study and maintain good academic standing.
- Be charged at least $200 for tuition per year.

Other NYS financial aid programs may have different eligibility requirements. Please refer to https://www.hesc.ny.gov/find-aid/nys-grants-scholarships for additional eligibility requirements.