General FAQs for College Financial Aid Administrators

General

If my school transitions from grades to pass/fail, will that impact state aid for our students?

The type of grading system used by a school will not impact their students’ eligibility for NYS financial aid.

Can my school offer distance education to students to finish their terms if our accrediting agencies are not authorized to approve it?

Yes, schools may use distance learning to finish the term. Please visit http://www.nysed.gov for more information.

Should schools continue to submit documents through Doctracs or wait until the emergency COVID-19 work restriction ends?

At this time, please do not submit documents through Doctracs. HESC will notify you when you can resume sending documents.

Will you extend the application deadlines for students?

Yes. At this time, HESC has extended all financial aid application deadline dates indefinitely. Once normal operations resume, new deadline dates will be implemented.

Applications currently open:

TAP 2019-20 Deadline to apply is June 30, 2020
TAP 2020-21 Deadline to apply is June 30, 2021
STEM
World Trade Center Memorial Scholarship
Military Enhanced Recognition Incentive and Tribute (MERIT) Scholarship
All Memorial Scholarships
Veteran Tuition Awards
Get on Your Feet Loan Forgiveness Program

Applications opening soon - exact dates to be determined:

Excelsior Scholarship
Enhanced Tuition Awards
NYS Math and Science Teaching Incentive Program
Masters-in-Education Teacher Incentive Scholarship Program
Senator Patricia K. McGee Nursing Faculty Scholarship

TAP Waivers

Will HESC extend the deadline for schools to process TAP waivers since students are unable to submit required documentation with campuses closed?

HESC has extended deadline dates indefinitely. Once normal operations resume, HESC will notify you via email of any new deadline dates.

Other Scholarship Eligibility

Will schools have an extension in providing initial recipient lists for the Aid for Part-time Study (APTS) for Spring 2020?

Yes. HESC has extended this and other deadline dates indefinitely. Once normal operations resume, HESC will notify you via email of any new deadline dates.

How are recipients of NYS scholarships with a GPA requirement, such as STEM, affected if their school moves to a pass/no credit term?

Recipients will receive their scholarships for the term if they passed all required classes.

Certification

My school is prorating room and board charges for students. For students receiving awards based on cost of attendance, such as the NYS Memorial Scholarship and World Trade Center Scholarship, should we recertify those students with the updated information?

SUNY or CUNY colleges making room and board adjustments should recertify any special scholarships that cover cost of attendance with new information so the student does not have an overaward of funds.

Private colleges must readjust awards only if the student’s financial aid exceeds cost of attendance.

Length of Term

If a school is considering delaying the start of the next semester from late April to early May, will there be any issue with NYS aid programs?

As long as the term is still 15 weeks there is no problem moving the semester start date.

Student ID

Will I continue to receive the HE9751 file requesting student ID information?

At this time, HESC continues to process both outgoing and incoming student ID files. You may return the files to HESC as a HE9752 or HE9754 in the same way you have been.

Is there any way for me to input the student ID manually on the HESC website?

Yes, schools can enter student ID information directly on the HESC website by following these steps:

Go to Transaction processing
Select Grants and Scholarships
Select Students (left tab)
Select Student ID maintenance
Select Create Student ID and enter the data

Processing - Updated 4/27/20

Will HESC continue to run processing based on the published schedule?

Yes, HESC will adhere to the published processing schedule.

Will HESC continue to generate Rosters, Remittance Advices, and award payments?

Yes. HESC plans to continue processing normally.

Payments - Updated 4/27/20

Will HESC extend the 2018-19 close-out period to allow schools time to submit certifications and to correct certification errors?

HESC has extended deadline dates indefinitely. Once normal operations resume, HESC will notify you via email of any new deadline dates.

Will schools be granted more time to certify student awards for the 2019-20 academic year?

HESC has extended deadline dates indefinitely. Once normal operations resume, HESC will notify you via email of any new deadline dates.

Awards appearing on regular rosters or on Excelsior or ETA Manifests
- Schools may continue to submit their certifications by EFAN or online using HESCWeb Transaction Processing.
Awards appearing on form SU8069-Consolidated Scholarship Rosters (CSR):
- Schools may continue to fax completed CSRs to HESC at 1-518-473-3749.
- HESC will process these certifications in the order in which they are received.

Refunds

Should schools continue to remit refunds owed to HESC?

Schools should send their checks to:

HESC TAP Cashiers
99 Washington Ave - Room #1500
Albany, NY 12255

Schools set up to remit electronically should do so normally.