Section Financial Aid Office Header

Financial Aid Office

Entering SEEK Freshmen

The SEEK Program provides special academic, finance, and counseling assistance to students entering college for the first time. The program awards financial assistance to economically eligible students to cover such expenses as transportation, books, and college fees.

Overview

You must provide certain documents so that we can determine if you are financially eligible for SEEK. You should also apply for Federal and State Financial Aid immediately or you will not receive any funding. Students may apply online at www.fafsa.gov and www.tapweb.org.

FAFSA Filing Workshops are available for students who need assistance.

Income Requirements

# in Household

2021 Income (Max)

1

$25,142

2

$33,874

3

$42,606

4

$51,338

5

$60,070

6

$68,802

7

$77,534

8

$86,266

An addition $8,228 for each family member in excess of 8

Required Documentation

All required documentation must be completed and submitted to the Financial Aid Office to be considered for the SEEK Program.

Items Required for SEEK Economic Eligibility Verification

Required Financial Aid SEEK Documents

  1. SIGNED COPY of parents' 2021 Federal Tax Return
  2. SIGNED COPY of your 2021 Federal Tax Return
  3. Public Assistant Form / Social Security Form for 2021 or current.
  4. Proof of child support and/or Alimony payments for 2021
  5. Letter regarding non-taxable income for 2021
  6. One piece of government ID (Passport, State ID, Social Security Card, etc.)
  7. If applicable, Independent Status documentation

A couple of things to keep in mind

  1. You will only receive Financial Aid after your application has been completed and verified (if
    needed).
  2. You'll earn financial aid as you attend your classes, hence withdrawing, skipping, dropping, not attending, or failing courses will adversely affect your eligibility.
  3. Financial Aid money will be applied to your account in the order in which it is received. First, it is applied to cover your balance, and any remaining will be mailed to you or deposited into your bank account if you sign up for a direct deposit.
  4. TAP (Tuition Assistant Program) is regulated and verified by New York State, hence problems regarding TAP are better resolved by using their website: www.hesc.com

IRS Tax Transcript Request

An IRS Tax Return Transcript or "Verification of Non-filing" can be ordered in 1 of 3 ways:

  1. Log on to www.irs.gov. Click "Order a Tax Return or Account Transcript" on the homepage, under "Tools" and follow the steps to order your tax transcript.
  2. Call IRS at 1-800-908-9946
  3. Log on to www.irs.gov. Click on 4506-T under "Forms and Pubs" to download a request form. Mail to the address applicable to your state on the second page.

What's Next

In order to be considered for the SEEK Program, all interested students must make an appointment with the SEEK Office in Room AC-1C08

  1. You will be contacted by the SEEK Office to inform you if you have been accepted to the program or not.
  2. You must always check your CUNYfirst "To Do List" and satisfy all the financial aid requirements.
  3. Funds are disbursed directly to the student's account about a week after the award has been posted. If you miss the date you’ll have to wait until the next pay period for that program.
  4. In some cases, funds may be applied to cover your balance and any remaining will be mailed to you or directly deposited into your bank account if you signed up for direct deposit.
  5. You’ll earn financial aid as you attend your classes, hence withdrawing, skipping, dropping, not attending or failing courses will adversely affect your eligibility.

For more information, visit the SEEK department website

Student Affairs