Where Do I Start

Financial Aid

The first step to receiving all forms of financial aid at Baruch is the FAFSA, or Free Application for Federal Student Aid. The FAFSA determines if and how much you can receive in federal government grants, loans, and work-study funds available to college students. (International students are not eligible for federal or state funding, including the FAFSA, but may inquire about alternative education loans and Baruch Student Employment.)

Why should I apply?

Completing the FAFSA also determines your eligibility for:

  • Grants (Do not have to be repaid)
  • Loans (Borrowed money that must be repaid)
  • Federal Work Study (Money earned by working a part-time job on or off campus)
  • Scholarships

We recommend submitting your FAFSA as soon as possible after October 1st. You are now able to use your tax return from two years prior to the year you will matriculate. Apply online at fafsa.ed.gov.

New York State residents

If you are a resident of New York State, you may be eligible for the Excelsior Scholarship program, which offers free tuition to students who meet certain income criteria. Learn more by visiting this website.

New York State residents may also be eligible for the Tuition Assistant Program (TAP) award. You can fill out your FAFSA and TAP form in the same sitting. Links to TAP are located at the bottom of the online FAFSA application.

The instructions for completing the TAP are available at www.tapweb.org/totw/. Baruch’s TAP code is 1409.

Freshman Merit Scholarships

To be considered for a full scholarship (Baruch College Honors - includes Macaulay Honors), we require at least a 90 academic average and a 1300 on the SAT. Some partial scholarships are also available.

Find out more here: Scholarship information.

  • How to Apply
    Completing the FAFSA

    The instructions for completing the FAFSA are available at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Baruch’s FAFSA code is 007273. We highly recommend you fill out the FAFSA early sothat your financial aid can get processed faster.

    The following 7 Steps will provide you with information on how to apply for federal and New York State financial aid. This information is from the CUNY Financial Aid website.

    1. Collect Documents

    Collect your income tax returns, Social Security number, W-2 form(s), and other records of income and assets. If you are under 24 years old, you will likely need your parents' information as well. You could estimate your tax information if you did not complete your tax return and correct the information later. It is helpful to fill out the 'FAFSA on the Web' worksheet first. You can get the worksheet at www.fafsa.gov.

    2. Apply for a FSA ID

    Students and Parents should apply for a federal student aid ID (FSA ID) which is comprised of a user-selected username and password. With your FSA ID, you can sign your FAFSA electronically and complete the federal student aid process completely online. Also, you can make corrections to your application once it is filed and access your information online. If you are under 24 years old, it is likely you and one of your parents will each need an FSA ID. You can apply for an FSA ID at fsaid.ed.gov. You will use the same FSA ID to reapply and to access your student aid records each year.

    3. Complete the FAFSA

    The FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is the application for federal student assistance. You can apply before you have been admitted to CUNY starting October 1 prior to the academic year you plan on attending. Apply online by going to www.fafsa.ed.gov. Internet access is available at the financial aid office at each CUNY college.

    For free help in completing your FAFSA or to obtain a paper FAFSA you can call the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1800-4-FED-AID (1800-433-3243). For federal student financial aid information online you can go to www.studentaid.ed.gov

    Note: To fill out and submit your FAFSA is FREE. There are websites and services not associated with the federal government that will charge you to fill out your FAFSA. You don't have to pay anyone for assistance and once your FAFSA is submitted, your Student Aid Report (SAR) will be sent to you with additional information and instructions, and the financial aid office at the school(s) indicated on your FAFSA should be able to provide all the help you need.

    4. Link to TAP on the Web
    The TAP (Tuition Assistance Program) application is for New York State residents to apply for NY State financial aid. Once you complete your FAFSA, you will get to the 'FAFSA on the Web Submission Confirmation' page. There you will find a link for New York State residents to complete an application for TAP. Click on the link and you will be directed to the HESC website to fill out your TAP application. If you fill out your FAFSA on paper, you will be notified by email or a postcard on how to complete your TAP application.

    5. Receive a Student Aid Report

    A few days after you complete the FAFSA you will receive an email from ‘Federal Student Aid’ with a link to your Student Aid Report (SAR). Your SAR contains a summary of your FAFSA information and a calculation of your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) – the number used to determine your federal student aid eligibility. Review your SAR to see if any additional information or corrections may be needed. It’s possible that you may need to provide additional information before your Expected Family Contribution can be calculated. You can also access your SAR at www.fafsa.gov with your FSA ID.

    6. Verify your Data

    The U.S. Department of Education selects a certain number of applicants for a verification process. If you have been selected, you will need to submit tax returns and other documents to your school's financial aid office to verify the data you supplied on your FAFSA.

    Being selected for verification does not necessarily mean that you made an error in filling out your FAFSA but in order to receive financial aid that you have been awarded, you will have to submit tax returns and other documents requested by your school's financial aid office.

    To order a Tax Return Transcript, go to www.irs.gov, and click on Get Transcript of Your Tax Records and follow the steps or call the IRS at 1-800-908-9946.

    Instead of ordering a Tax Transcript you can import your tax information into your FAFSA at www.fafsa.gov by using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool. Click here for an IRS Data Retrieval Tutorial.



    7. Receive your Award Letter

    Once your FAFSA is complete and you demonstrate financial need, your selected college will send you an award letter indicating the financial aid programs for which you qualify. If you are not eligible for need based financial aid, you can contact the financial aid office at your college to find out other options to finance your education.

  • Understanding Your Award

    Scholarships:

    Scholarships are a form of financial aid that does not have to be repaid. There are federal and private scholarships, and we recommend you search extensively for any scholarships you may qualify for.

    There are no additional applications for merit scholarships other than the Macaulay Honors College application.

    Grants:

    Grants are funds from the federal and state government that do not need to be repaid. You can apply for federal and state grants by submitting your FAFSA. The need demonstrated on the FAFSA will determine the amount of state and federal grants a student receives.

    Please click here for a complete list of financial aid available.

    Loans:

    There are a number of loan options available as a part of your financial aid package. The Baruch College Loan Information Website can give you more information.

    Work Study:

    The Federal Work-Study Program provides jobs for undergraduate and graduate students with financial need, allowing them help pay education expenses. The program encourages community service work and work related to your course of study. Recipients are offered the opportunity to work 20 hours a week at various types of jobs both on and off campus.

    To apply for work study, you must fill out your financial aid applications and request consideration for FWS by checking the appropriate box on the FAFSA. FWS money is awarded on a first-come, first served basis.

    For more information about work study, please click here.

    FEDERAL WORK-STUDY PROGRAM

    Employment opportunities are offered to United States citizens and eligible noncitizens who demonstrate financial need. Recipients must be enrolled in a degree program and be making satisfactory pursuit and progress toward a degree. Recipients are offered the opportunity to work 20 hours a week at various types of jobs both on and off campus.

  • Helpful Links

    Baruch Financial Aid Services

    Scholarship Search Links

    Loan Search Links

    CUNY Code of Conduct