Current Undergraduate Students

Renewing Financial Aid

It’s important that you file the right forms by the deadline to ensure that you’ll be considered for all types of aid each year. Late applicants will result in aid being awarded on a funds-available basis.

If you have not previously applied for financial aid, visit the How to Apply page for instructions. View additional renewing financial aid details.

Renew your Financial Aid Instructions:

• Complete financial aid application(s) annually before the February 1 deadline.
• Visit your MySlice Financial Aid To Do List and complete all items.
• Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress.
• Maintain full-time enrollment each semester.
• To renew academic merit scholarships, no application is required. You must maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.75 and maintain full-time enrollment each semester for a scholarship to renew.

Syracuse University makes every effort to renew financial aid awards if:

• Funding levels are renewed and remain stable.
• The information you submit on your aid application does not change from year to year (e.g. other siblings no longer enrolled full-time at the undergraduate level, change in family income, or new information required). Learn more about what might impact aid in future academic years below.
• The required applications are submitted by the published deadlines.

What could impact my financial aid in future academic years?

• The Department of Education has completely overhauled the FAFSA form and process of calculating aid eligibility.
  • Information on the changes to the FAFSA can be found here.

    • Changes to the FAFSA

      • The number of questions on the FAFSA has decreased from over 100 to approximately 36.
      • The FAFSA will no longer provide an EFC (Expected Family Contribution).
      • The Student Aid Index (SAI) will be calculated based on the information provided on the FAFSA. Federal Pell Grant and other federal aid eligibility will be determined based on the Student Aid Index (SAI).
      • Students can list up to 20 schools on their FAFSA via the online application.
      • The FAFSA now integrates directly with the IRS to import federal tax information onto the FAFSA form.
      • The definition of family size (formerly household size) has changed to align with the number of individuals reported as dependents on the applicant’s (if independent) or applicant’s parents’ (if dependent) U.S. tax return. Applicants may update their family size if it changes after filing the tax return.
      • Students, spouses, parents, and stepparents will now need to provide their consent on the FAFSA in the new Consent to Retrieve and Disclose Federal Tax Information section of the FAFSA for federal student aid eligibility.
        • This consent will allow the IRS to share Federal Taxpayer Information (FTI) with schools listed on the FAFSA.
        • If any party to the FAFSA form does not provide consent, submission of the form will still be allowed. However, a Student Aid Index (SAI) will not be calculated, and the student will not be eligible for Federal Student Aid.

      Changes to Calculating Your Aid Eligibility

      The 2024-2025 FAFSA will introduce a different measure of a family’s ability to pay for college, and families will experience a change in how the FAFSA calculates eligibility for federal aid.

      • The new need analysis formula:
        • removes the number of family members in college from the calculation
        • expands Federal Pell Grant eligibility to more students

      • Child support received will be included in assets and not as untaxed income.
      • Families who own a small business/farm that also serves as a primary residence will now have assets of that business/farm considered in their need analysis calculation.

      For additional information about FAFSA Simplification and the enhancements to the 2024-2025 FAFSA, please review the Department of Education FAFSA Updates webpage.

  • Federal Student Aid has created a video on what has changed on the FAFSA.
• Changes in student (and spouse), and/or parent income.
  • For the 2024-25 academic year, the aid applications use income information from the 2022 tax year.
  • For the 2025-26 academic year, the aid applications use income information from the 2023 tax year.
  • If you, your spouse, and/or your parent(s) have had a substantial change in income from the 2022 tax year to the 2023 tax year, those changes could impact your overall aid eligibility.
• Changes in a parent’s or student’s (and spouse’s) assets.
  • If you, your spouse, and/or your parent(s) have had a substantial change in asset value from the 2024-25 academic year to the 2025-26 academic year, those changes could impact your overall aid eligibility.
• Changes to the number of people in your household.
  • If you (and your spouse), or your parent(s) have had a change in the total number of people in your household, that household size change could impact your overall aid eligibility.
• Changes to the number of people in your household that are currently enrolled in college.
  • Before the 2024-25 academic year, the FAFSA adjusted a student’s Expected Family Contribution (EFC), which is now referred to as the Student Aid Index (SAI), based on the number of people in college. Starting with the 2024-25 academic year and going forward, that adjustment is not being made when calculating a student’s federal aid eligibility.
• Awarding of additional aid.
  • Each academic year, a student’s total aid cannot exceed the Cost of Attendance. If you are eligible for additional aid, scholarships, or other benefits, your current aid offer may need to be adjusted, as students cannot receive any financial aid in excess of their cost of attendance. 
  • A Resident Advisor (RA) is provided with designated funding for room (housing) and board (meals) during the terms of employment with Student Living (current funding amounts are determined by the Student Living office).
    • The addition of the RA funding could result in the reduction or adjustment of other aid, so as not to exceed the cost of attendance.
    • Should an RA start or leave the RA appointment outside of the beginning or end of an academic semester, the associated room and board fees will be prorated accordingly, and the remaining balance is the responsibility of the RA.
• Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP).
  • To maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress, students must successfully complete (earn) a specified number of credit hours (quantitative measure) as well as attain and maintain a required grade point average (qualitative measure) by the end of each semester. 
• Changes in enrollment.
  • Financial aid is awarded based on full-time enrollment status. Failure to maintain full-time enrollment may result in the reduction or cancellation of your awards.
  • Withdrawal from the University before the end of a given term may result in an adjustment or cancellation of aid.
• Reaching the maximum number of credits, semesters, months, annual, aggregate, and/or lifetime limit of an award. 
  • The Federal Pell Grant is awarded up to the lifetime limit. The Pell Grant is awarded for no more than 12 terms (roughly six years).
  • Federal Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans are awarded based on annual and aggregate limits. Students cannot exceed the annual loan limits and the aggregate loan limits.
  • Merit-based scholarships are awarded based on the published length of the student’s academic program. Enrollment beyond the published length of the program may result in the cancellation of merit-based scholarship funding.
  • Benefits, such as the Post 9/11 GI Bill, are certified by the VA and funded based on the number of months remaining of remaining eligibility.
  • The Syracuse University Dependent Tuition Waiver can only be applied to the minimum number of credit hours required for completion of the first baccalaureate degree. 
• Other circumstances.
  • Changes to eligibility:
    • New York State Residency changes for New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP)
    • Default or forbearance on federal student loans.
    • Failure to meet the federal basic eligibility requirements for aid, including criminal convictions and/or incarceration.
  • Financial aid awards at Syracuse University can change based on other factors not outlined above.