Frequently Asked Questions

Depending upon your financial aid and your specific circumstances, you may or may not have a tax liability. Please see IRS tax topics.

Yes. You will need to file a FAFSA. Undergraduate students who wish to apply for a Syracuse University Grant must also file a CSS Profile in the first year. Read more about renewing financial aid.

Check your MySlice Financial Aid To Do list for details on any documents our office requires. Please note that aid cannot be offered until you have completed verification or the missing information requirements. 

Students (or families) who experience a change in their family circumstances are encouraged to contact our office and speak with a financial aid counselor. Read more about special circumstances and professional judgment. 

Do not submit documents to Syracuse unless they have been requested. Check your MySlice Financial Aid To Do List for any required items.

Scholarships and grants are gift aid and do not have to be repaid. Loans must be repaid, with interest. Some grants, such as the Federal TEACH Grant have a service requirement to remain gift aid. 

Aid amounts may change from year to year for many reasons. Eligibility determined by the FAFSA, costs, funding levels, and maximum amounts can change and affect your aid package. Your eligibility for federal loan(s) will increase as you advance from freshman to senior levels. Read more on renewing financial aid.

*Starting in the 2024-2025 academic year, the Department of Education is implementing changes to the FAFSA, which could alter aid eligibility for some students. Read more about the upcoming changes on this informational page.

TAP is administered by the New York State Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC). New York State residents who complete the FAFSA online will be prompted to complete a TAP application on the HESC website. Once these two forms are completed, students will be notified of their TAP eligibility directly from HESC. Calculate your own TAP.

Students may be eligible for federal financial aid for summer study. View details regarding your eligibility or contact your financial aid counselor.

As long as you are not living at home with your parent(s), you receive the same amount of financial aid whether you live in a residence hall or in an off-campus apartment. Any financial aid in excess of your bursar bill can be refunded to you to meet off-campus expenses such as rent or food. Students living at home with their parent(s) are considered commuters and have a lower cost of attendance, as they do not incur room expenses.

There is additional funding for students wishing to study abroad. Contact your financial aid counselor to discuss details about studying abroad. Learn more about about Syracuse Abroad's grants, scholarships, tuition, and fees.

Your financial aid counselor must review the circumstances regarding your leave of absence and return. In many cases, financial aid may be fully reinstated as long as the proper forms are filed and submitted to Syracuse.

You may also find answers to common questions by viewing our policies page.

Merit-based scholarships are determined by the Office of Admissions at the time of admission to the University. Merit is based on academic performance, standardized test scores (optional), extracurricular activities, leadership, audition or portfolio results, and many other factors. There is no separate application for merit scholarships, and you do not need to submit the FAFSA or CSS Profile to be considered for merit.

Generally outside scholarships will be used to meet the student’s remaining need. If a student does not have remaining need, it may be necessary to adjust the self-help (e.g. student loans and Federal Work-Study) portion of the financial aid. It is best to contact your financial aid counselor or the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarship Programs with specific questions.

The sooner the better. Searching for scholarships does take time, so it’s a good idea to start early and search often. Eligibility requirements vary as do the deadline dates, so don’t limit yourself or be discouraged if the results are not exactly as you expect right away.

Beware of any scholarship search service that guarantees results, especially for a fee. Use caution with unsolicited offers of assistance and read all the fine print carefully.

The Tuition Exchange scholarship is not guaranteed for any faculty or staff member at any institution. Students must first meet the admissions and eligibility criteria to be eligible for Tuition Exchange. At Syracuse University, Tuition Exchange is a competitive scholarship, and students are selected for Tuition Exchange upon admission to Syracuse University (first-year or transfer). Students not selected for the Tuition Exchange offered upon entering Syracuse University will not be reconsidered in future academic years.  

You can find more information on Tuition Exchange on our website.

The value of the Tuition Exchange scholarship is a set annual rate. For the 2024-25 academic year, the set rate is $42,000; for the 2025-26 academic year, the set rate is $43,000.

The Federal Work-Study (FWS) allows you to obtain a Federal Work-Study job and earn up to the amount of your offer. The FWS is not credited to your student financial account. You are paid weekly for the hours that you work. View all of the available positions, both FWS and non-FWS. Students are responsible for finding their own job on campus.

No. The FWS allows you to receive money for a job you work on- or off-campus. You receive a paycheck weekly for the hours that you work.

Yes. Many offices will hire you on a non-work-study basis. View all of the available positions, both FWS and non-FWS.

It is not mandatory for a student to obtain work-study employment. If you have savings from a summer job or expect financial help from your family, it may be possible for you to meet all educational expenses without utilizing your work-study. However, work-study earnings are intended to help you pay for books, supplies, and personal expenses during the academic year. Work-study earnings also have the advantage of being excluded when applying for financial aid in subsequent years.

When you complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) you are applying for a Federal Direct Loan that will be part of your financial aid offer. After completing the FAFSA, you will also need to complete a Federal Master Promissory Note (MPN) and an Entrance Counseling Session, which can be found on your MySlice Financial Aid To-Do List.

The government pays your interest on a subsidized loan while you are enrolled in college. The government does not pay your interest on an unsubsidized loan. You will either need to make interest payments while you are in school or defer your interest payments to begin after leaving/graduating from college.

Entering students are considered for merit scholarships by completing the Common Application. You are not required to submit the FAFSA or CSS Profile to be considered for merit scholarship funding.

Students are reviewed for need-based aid by completing the CSS Profile and the FAFSA. If you are eligible for a merit scholarship, it will be evaluated along with consideration for all other need-based aid. Students may only receive financial aid (scholarships, grants, loans, work-study, tuition benefits, etc.) up to the published cost of attendance each year. For more information about how need-based aid is calculated, please speak with a financial aid counselor.

Undergraduate aid (federal, state, or university funds) can only be offered for the undergraduate courses that meet your Bachelor's degree requirements. If you enroll in both graduate and undergraduate courses during the same term, your aid and scholarships will be calculated based upon your undergraduate enrollment only. A student cannot receive both undergraduate and graduate aid during the same term, and a student who has not yet completed Bachelor's degree requirements is not eligible to receive graduate aid.

Students enrolled in 3+2 or 4+1 programs should remain enrolled in at least 12 credit hours of undergraduate courses per term to continue to receive their full-time aid and scholarship eligibility. Many students in these programs begin taking graduate courses in addition to their full-time undergraduate enrollment.