How to Apply for Financial Aid

1. Apply to the College through the DCC Admissions Office.

2. Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (www.studentaid.gov) (FAFSA). The school code for Dutchess is 002864. If you are applying for the fall semester, you can submit your FAFSA any time after October 1 prior to the following fall semester.

3. To submit the FAFSA, you (and parents of a dependent student) will need a FSA ID in order to apply for financial aid and sign the FAFSA electronically. You will receive a confirmation of your application as well as your Student Aid Report electronically, which you should review and keep for your records.

4. If you are a New York State resident and you are enrolling as a full-time student, you may be eligible for state aid. You will be directed to the online Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) application at the end of the FAFSA. Complete the application. You will need to list at least one school in New York State. The TAP code for Dutchess is 2053.

5. If you did not complete a TAP application as part of your online FAFSA, wait until you receive your FAFSA acknowledgment, then apply for TAP directly. Use 2053 as the TAP code for Dutchess.

6. If you are a New York State resident and you are enrolling as a part-time student, you may be eligible for state aid. Apply for Aid for Part-Time Study (APTS) by the deadlines established in the Office of Student Financial Services. Use the APTS Application. (Note: Downloadable Financial Aid forms are available on the College website.

Wait list: Once our initial allotment of APTS funds have been exhausted, any student who is complete and eligible for APTS will be put on a wait list. APTS funds can become available due to students withdrawing from courses or academic ineligibility.

This wait list will be reviewed beginning the 4th week of the semester and weekly thereafter until the deadline date or all funds are exhausted. Being on the wait list does not guarantee receipt of APTS funding.

7. Using the Banner ID assigned by the College, you can log in to your self-service Banner account and:

• View award amounts and accept financial aid.

• Check for any additional requirements you must complete before receiving financial aid.

8. You must reapply for financial aid each academic year. To do so, start with step 2 above. Please make sure any documents sent to Student Financial Services include the student's name and Student ID Number (Starts with an A) on each page.

Timeline: Filing for Financial Aid

October 1 – financial aid applications are available for completion for the next academic year.

December – results of FAFSAs for the following year are retrieved from the federal government.

April – processing begins for the following academic year and students are notified of their awards or any missing documentation.

May – August – processing continues and students are notified every 21 days regarding missing documentation and any additional requirements.

July 1 forward – required submission of residency documentation.

Late July – first due date for fall tuition.

August – one week prior to classes – distribution of vouchers, electronically, to purchase books in the DCC Bookstore.

October and March – refunds of excess financial aid are made to students eligible for such during the current semester.