Eligibility

1. Your permanent home is in NYS and you are or have ONE of the following:
   1. U-Visa
   2. T-Visa
   3. Temporary protected status, pursuant to the Federal Immigration Act of 1990
   4. Without lawful immigration status (including those with DACA status)
   5. AND you meet ONE of the following criteria:
      1. You attended a NYS high school for 2 or more years, graduated from a NYS high school, and are applying for an award for undergraduate study at a NYS college within five years of receiving your NYS high school diploma OR
      2. You attended a NYS high school for 2 or more years, graduated from a NYS high school, and are applying for an award for graduate study at a NYS college within ten years of receiving your NYS high school diploma OR
      3. You received a NYS high school equivalency diploma, and are applying for an award for undergraduate study at a NYS college within five years of receiving your NYS high school equivalency diploma OR
      4. You received a NYS high school equivalency diploma, and are applying for an award for graduate study at a NYS college within ten years of receiving your NYS high school equivalency diploma OR
      5. You did not attend or graduate from a NYS high school, did not receive a NYS high school equivalency diploma, but are charged the NYS resident in-State tuition rate at a SUNY or CUNY college for any reason
2. Your permanent home is outside of NYS and you are or have ONE of the following:
   1. U.S. citizen
   2. Permanent lawful resident
   3. Of a class of refugees paroled by the attorney general under his or her parole authority pertaining to the admission of aliens to the U.S.
   4. U-Visa
   5. T-Visa
   6. Temporary protected status, pursuant to the Federal Immigration Act of 1990
   7. Without lawful immigration status (including those with DACA status)
   8. AND you meet ONE of the following criteria:
      1. You attended a NYS high school for 2 or more years, graduated from a NYS high school, and are applying for an award for undergraduate study at a NYS college within five years of receiving your NYS high school diploma OR
      2. You attended a NYS high school for 2 or more years, graduated from a NYS high school, and are applying for an award for graduate study at a NYS college within ten years of receiving your NYS high school diploma OR
      3. You received a NYS high school equivalency diploma, and are applying for an award for undergraduate study at a NYS college within five years of receiving your NYS high school equivalency diploma OR
      4. You received a NYS high school equivalency diploma, and are applying for an award for graduate study at a NYS college within ten years of receiving your NYS high school equivalency diploma OR
      5. You did not attend or graduate from a NYS high school, did not receive a NYS high school equivalency diploma, but are charged the NYS resident in-State tuition rate at a SUNY or CUNY college for any reason

Note: A student seeking New York State financial aid, including TAP, for the first time, must pass a federally approved ATB test identified by the Board of Regents if the student does not possess a U.S. high school diploma or its recognized equivalent.

Award Amount

A recipient will receive a maximum of $13045 per semester if living on campus and a maximum of $8295 per semester if commuting to college. Note: Students choosing to live off campus when housing is available will be paid at the lower commuter rate.

• Tuition: an amount equal to your actual tuition or the State University of New York’s (SUNY) in-state tuition, whichever is less.
• Non-tuition costs: such as room, board, books, supplies and transportation up to the non-tuition cost allowances at SUNY colleges.
  • Type of housing affects the total amount, with an on-campus student receiving a higher room and board allowance than a commuter student; however, if housing is not available on campus, the student will receive the same allowance as student living on campus.

Receipt of other grants and scholarships may reduce the WTC award. The total of all aid received cannot be greater than the student's cost of attendance determined for federal Title IV student financial aid purposes.

Note: Any award payment received may have tax implications. Any questions regarding this should be directed to a tax professional, the Internal Revenue Service, or the NYS Department of Taxation and Finance.

Duration

Recipients are entitled to payment for up to four years of full-time undergraduate study, or five years if enrolled in a bachelor degree program approved as a program normally requiring five years of study.

How to Apply

If you are newly applying for NYS financial aid under the provisions of the DREAM Act, you must apply for eligibility under the NYS DREAM Act before applying for the World Trade Center Memorial Scholarship. If you have previously qualified under the NYS DREAM Act, you will simply need to add a new application to apply for the World Trade Center Memorial Scholarship Program. Find the link to the application here when the World Trade Center Memorial Scholarship application becomes available.

Term Definitions

• Temporary Protected Status (TPS): allows foreign nationals to remain in the U.S. if during the time they were in the U.S. something catastrophic happened in their country of origin preventing their safe return – for example war, famine, natural disaster, or epidemic. TPS allows people to work legally and be protected from deportation.
• T-Visa: allows the granting of lawful status to noncitizen victims of human trafficking, as well as their immediate family members, who assist in the prosecution of the trafficking. It allows people to remain and work temporarily in the U.S.
• U-Visa: allows for the granting of lawful status to noncitizen crime victims who suffered significant physical or mental abuse (and their immediate family members) who assist in the prosecution of the crime. It allows people to remain and work temporarily in the U.S.
• Without Lawful Immigration Status: living in the U.S. unlawfully either because lawful status never existed (including those with DACA status) or has ended.