Financial Aid
Contact Information:
Office of Financial Aid
Guttman Community College
The HUB – Third floor
50 West 40th Street
New York, NY 10018
(646)313-8011 or (646)313-8080
financial.aid@guttman.cuny.edu
The Office of Financial Aid (OFA) at Guttman Community College is committed to assisting students explore their financial aid options.
Pursuing a college education is one the best investments a student can make in building their future career paths. Our mission is to ensure that every Guttman Community College student is educated regarding their financial aid options to finance their college degree. The Office of Financial Aid strives to assist Guttman’s students in removing or reducing financial barriers to provide support in pursuing their academic goals. Financial need should not prevent any student from attending a CUNY college. Over 60% of full-time Guttman students attend tuition-free due to the Federal Pell grant and New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) award, which on average fully covers CUNY’s low tuition. For more information on the different types of financial aid programs available please visit Guttman’s financial aid website or to learn more about what CUNY offers, please visit CUNY’s financial aid site.
Financial Aid counseling is available on an individual walk-in basis, by appointment via Starfish, and in-group workshops conducted throughout the academic year. Our expert staff aids with troubleshooting online financial aid applications (FAFSA and NYS Aid Applications). We also provide counseling about financial aid eligibility, including student loan counseling and literacy, and tuition payment options. The Office of Financial Aid is also responsible to determine student aid eligibility. For additional questions about financial aid, please contact the Office of Financial Aid at 646-313-8011, financial.aid@guttman.cuny.edu or visit The HUB located on the third floor.
HOW TO APPLY FOR FINANCIAL AID
Federal and New York State student financial aid is available to help pay for college. In order to continue receiving financial aid, students must apply every year. The Office of Financial Aid is available to assist students throughout this process, but the steps are also listed below:
Step One: Submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
A student’s eligibility for financial aid can only be determined once they have submitted their financial aid applications. All students seeking financial aid must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), available online at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/. It is important to include our Federal school code (042101) on the FAFSA application. The Federal school code allows the release of the FAFSA application data to Guttman Community College. If Guttman Community College is not listed on the FAFSA application, we will not receive the FAFSA data, therefore, we will be unable to process any Federal Student Aid. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and NYS TAP application must be submitted every year.
Step Two: Submit a NYS Student Aid Payment Application
The NYS Student Aid Payment Application (I.E. TAP grant) is available for a student to submit via a link on the FAFSA Confirmation page. If the link is not displayed on the FAFSA Confirmation page, the student will receive a separate e-mail from Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC), which provides directions on how to complete the NYS Student Aid Payment application online.
It is important to include our NYS school code (1421) on the NYS Student Payment application which allows the release of the NYS Student Payment application data to Guttman Community College.
There are also many other NYS financial aid programs students can apply for, such as the NYS Excelsior Scholarship, the Peralta NYS Dream Scholarship, and NYS Part-time Scholarship (PTS). For more information on these scholarship(s) and how to apply, please visit the HESC Grants, Scholarships and Loans website.
Step Three: Pay attention to your CUNYfirst “To Do List”
It is important for students to resolve any items listed on their CUNYfirst To Do List. Students can review their To Do List items anytime by logging into their CUNYfirst account.
The CUNYfirst To Do List will display the documents or actions a student needs to complete before the Office of Financial Aid can determine their financial aid eligibility. If the To Do List items are not resolved, then the Office of Financial Aid will not be able to process a student’s financial aid awards. We encourage students to respond promptly to any e-mail requests from the Office of Financial Aid to avoid in delays in processing their financial aid.
Important Information: What do I need to know?
FINANCIAL VERIFICATION
Federal verification is an important part of the financial aid application process. The Department of Education randomly selects a FAFSA application for a process called verification. When a student is selected for the verification process, the College is required to collect documents such as a verification worksheet, W2 form(s), Federal tax return information and any other form(s) required to resolve a verification. Verification must be completed prior to finalizing a student’s Federal financial aid eligibility. Students can check their CUNYfirst “To Do List” to determine what documentation is required.
Students can securely upload their documents using the “Document Upload” feature available in CUNYfirst Student Self-Service. Students can visit the financial aid website for instructions on how to upload documents or watch the CUNYfirst Document Upload Tutorial video.
FINANCIAL AID CERTIFICATION DATE
Guttman Community College has a modular academic calendar that allows students to enroll in two sessions per term (Fall 1/Fall 2 and Spring 1/Spring 2). Financial aid eligibility is determined based on a student’s matriculation, Cost of Attendance (COA), Estimated Family Contribution (EFC), remaining financial need, and enrollment (amount of credits registered). For financial aid purposes, a student’s enrollment for the term (which includes both sessions) is locked in on the 7th day of the term. Please refer to the Academic Calendar for further details.
On the 7th day of the term, the Office of Financial Aid will lock in a student’s enrollment; therefore, it is important to pre-register for Fall 2/Spring 2 courses (if applicable) prior to the 7th day of the term. A student’s financial aid awards will be based on their enrollment as of the 7th day of the term. If a student needs to make changes to their registration, the Office of Financial Aid advises that they speak to an academic advisor (Student Success Advocate or Career Strategist) and a financial aid advisor prior to making any changes to their enrollment since it may affect their financial aid awards for the term.
Failure to attend one or more Courses (WN grades)
If a student receives a WN administrative grade in one or more courses, it is as a result of the instructor reporting the student as never attending the course. A WN administrative grade affects the student’s financial aid eligibility and may result in a balance due to Guttman Community College. A WN administrative grade is not eligible for financial aid; the WN grade does not count towards a student’s enrollment for the term for financial aid eligibility purposes. It is recommended that students speak with an academic advisor (Student Success Advocate or Career Strategist) and a financial aid advisor to evaluate how the WN administrative grade(s) will affect financial aid eligibility. For information about the grading policies at Guttman Community College please refer to the Grading Glossary and Guidelines in this bulletin.
Important Note: While a WN administrative grade is not financial aid eligible, the course is still billed to the student which may create a balance on the student’s account. It is the student’s responsibility to pay the college any tuition and fee charges not covered by financial aid. If a student is aware that they will not be attending a particular course for a session, the student should contact their academic advisor and a financial aid advisor to evaluate their options.
SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC PROGRESS (SAP)
All Guttman Community College students who receive Federal Title IV funding (Pell, SEOG, Federal Work Student, Direct Loans, etc.) and NYS Financial Aid funding must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) in order maintain eligibility for their financial aid. Failure to maintain SAP will result in the loss of future eligibility for Federal and/or NYS financial aid. For additional information on the SAP policies for Federal and NYS Financial Aid programs visit our website.
WITHDRAWALS AND THE RETURN OF FEDERAL FINANCIAL AID
Federal financial aid is awarded with the expectation that a student will attend school for the entire period for which the awards were intended. If a student withdraws (W, WD, WA or WU grades are assigned) from all of their classes for the term or session, the college will determine the portion of their federal awards they are entitled to receive according to a prescribed formula established by the U.S. Department of Education. Any unearned disbursed portion of the aid will need to be repaid to the college/U.S. Department of Education. This process is called Return to Title IV (R2T4).
Federal Title IV programs that are included in the R2T4 calculation include Pell grant, SEOG, Federal Teach Grant, Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant, Direct Loans (Subsidized and Unsubsidized) and PLUS Loans (Parent PLUS and Graduate Plus). The amount of federal financial aid earned by a student is determined by the number of days completed in the term/session.
Important Note: If Federal funds need to be returned, it may create an outstanding balance on the student’s account with Guttman Community College. The student will be responsible for any outstanding balance due to the college when funds are returned to the U.S. Department of Education.
Withdrawing from some or all their classes may also impact a student’s eligibility for New York State financial aid for the current or subsequent semester(s).
Have a Question?
If a student has questions about the financial aid application process or to learn more information about the Financial Aid programs available, visit the Guttman financial aid website or contact us directly at financial.aid@guttman.cuny.edu, call us at 646-313-8011, or visit The HUB located on the third floor.
Useful Websites and Phone Numbers
Guttman Community College Scholarships
The City University of New York (CUNY) Financial Aid Information
Federal Student Aid
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
Federal Student Aid Information
1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243)
Federal Student Aid - Loan Services
New York State Higher Education Services Corporation (NYS HESC)
1-888-NYS-HESC (1-888-697-4372)