Expenses & Financial Aid

Tuition and expenses may be subject to change after publication, including tuition and fee increases due to currency exchange rate fluctuations for study abroad programs. For current rates, visit our website at https://www.plattsburgh.edu/cost-aid/tuition/index.html.

Estimated Expenses/Semester
As of January 2019

*The Student Association fee for Main Campus students is charged to all graduate and undergraduate students matriculated at the Main Campus regardless of where they take their classes.

The Student Association fee for Branch Campus students is charged to all undergraduate students matriculated at the Branch Campus who are taking one or more classes at the branch campus. The rate is as follows:

**For a description and criteria for waiver eligibility, go to https://www.plattsburgh.edu/cost-aid/tuition/index.html and select a fee category underneath “Tuition and Fees” in the red box to the right.

Eligibility Requirements for Distance Learning Non-Resident Tuition

A student enrolled at SUNY Plattsburgh who: (a) for a given term is enrolled exclusively in online distance learning courses(s); and (b) has not had an address within the borders of New York State at any point within July 1 and June 30 of a given State-operated campus fiscal year may be eligible for a discounted non-resident tuition rate.  The Associate Director of Student Financial Services will determine whether a student meets the requirements by requiring documentation, as needed, to demonstrate compliance and to ensure that this definition is narrowly tailored to online-only non-resident students with no physical presence in New York.

In-state Residency for Tuition Purposes

An emancipated U.S. citizen or permanent resident whose domicile has been in the State of New York for a period of at least one year immediately preceding the time of registration for any period of attendance shall be considered a New York state resident for the purpose of determining the tuition rate payable for such period. Generally, an unemancipated student’s state of residency is considered the same as that of his or her custodial parent(s) or legal guardian(s). All other persons shall be presumed to be out-of-state residents for such purpose, unless domiciliary status is demonstrated in accordance with guidelines adopted by the University and in 8 NYCRR §302 (Tuition and Fees). Certain holders of non-immigrant visas may qualify for in-state tuition. Students who are classified as out-of-state residents for tuition purposes but believe they are eligible for in-state tuition may apply for consideration as in-state residents. To be considered, they need to complete a residency application and submit the application along with requested documents to the Associate Director of Student Financial Services. An application is available on the website at  https://www.plattsburgh.edu/cost-aid/tuition/tuition-policy.html. The deadline for applying is Friday of the fourth week of each semester.

Billing Procedure

For instructions on how to process and pay a current-term bill, please go to the Financial Services Forms page at https://www.plattsburgh.edu/cost-aid/forms.html. Click on “Bill Processing Instructions” for the appropriate term.

For information about each fee, please go to https://www.plattsburgh.edu//cost-aid/tuition/index.html. A bill for your registered courses will be available online following course registration. Check or money order should be payable in U.S. funds to SUNY Plattsburgh. Tuition and fees may also be paid with MasterCard, Visa, Discover or American Express cards. International students should pay through Flywire at www.flywire.com/pay/plattsburgh. Please make payment by the due date to avoid administrative and late payment fees. Bills processed after the bill due date will be assessed an administrative fee (between $30 and $50, depending on the balance). A late payment fee of up to $50 per month thereafter may be charged on outstanding balances, up to a maximum of four charges per semester. The Registrar charges continuing students who missed the priority registration period a $40 late registration fee.

Miscellaneous Expenses

Textbooks, except those provided by the library, and other incidentals such as pencils, paper, art supplies, lab materials, etc. must be paid by the student.

Refunds

Fees are refunded in accordance with policies established by those services (or service providers). A student who is given permission to cancel registration will be liable for payment of tuition in according to the following schedule:

Account balances less than $5 will not be refunded unless specifically requested by a student within 120 days of initial forfeiture. Otherwise the balance may remain forfeited.

Note to financial aid recipients: Refunds are determined by specific financial aid policies and regulations when a student withdraws from the college or from all courses during a semester. (See  https://www.plattsburgh.edu/cost-aid/scholarships/index.html.)

Refund Process

SUNY Plattsburgh has partnered with BankMobile Disbursements, a financial services company focused solely on higher education, to bring refunds to SUNY Plattsburgh students.

For students who choose the optional BankMobile Vibe debit card, activating the card is easy:

1. Go to www.refundselection.com.
2. At the bottom of the screen enter your personal code.  This is either the number on your card you received in a bright green envelope or your net ID (the first part of your email address before “@plattsburgh.edu”) followed by your two-digit birth month and two-digit birth day.  For example, John Doe was born on January 1 and his e-mail address is DOEJ001@plattsburgh.edu.  His personal code would be doej0010101 on his card from BankMoble Disbursements.

Students can choose one of two options for how to receive future refunds:

1. Electronic deposit to another account.
2. Electronic deposit to an optional BankMobile Vibe account.

For students choosing the optional BankMobile Vibe account, the card becomes a debit MasterCard (not a credit card) that can be used wherever MasterCard is accepted. Visit bankmobilevibe.com to learn more about the benefits of the optional BankMobile Vibe debit card and these refund options.

If a student selects a BankMobile Vibe debit card, the card is mailed to the current mailing address on file with SUNY Plattsburgh. To learn more about how Cardinal Cash and the optional BankMobile Vibe debit card differ, go to https://www.plattsburgh.edu//cost-aid/paying-bill-refunds.html and click the heading “Plattsburgh Debit Card” at the bottom of the page. 

Financial Aid

SUNY Plattsburgh’s Office of Financial Aid administers programs designed to assist students in securing financial resources to help pay for college. This office processes over $60 million in financial assistance each academic year. Financial aid is offered through federal, state, veterans, institutional, and private programs. The following sections summarize these programs, including application procedures, eligibility criteria, guidelines, and award amounts. The section also describes the academic standards that students must satisfy while attending SUNY Plattsburgh in order to remain eligible for federal, state and institutional aid programs. All information cited below is subject to change without notification. Additional information can be found on the financial aid website.

Federal Aid Programs and Eligibility

To apply for federal aid programs, click “Apply for Aid” on our Web page https://www.plattsburgh.edu/about/offices-divisions/administration-finance/financial-aid/index.html and follow the steps. If you apply for federal aid programs, the Financial Aid Office will determine your eligibility for federal grants, loans, and workstudy based upon your responses on the federal application (FAFSA). Our Web pages includes descriptions of these programs.

In order to be eligible for federal aid, students must file the FAFSA, meet federal citizenship and residency requirements, possess a social security number, register with Selective Service (males only), have a high school diploma or its equivalent, and matriculate in a degree program at SUNY Plattsburgh. All federal aid programs require students to enroll for at least six credits per semester, excluding the Pell Grant and TEACH Grant. Matriculated students may only receive aid for courses that are required for their degree. Students may only receive federal aid once for a repeat course that was previously passed.

Students cannot be in default on federal loans and must meet all federal standards for academic progress each semester. (See Satisfactory Academic Progress.)

For all federal loans, students must sign a promissory note, pass an entrance interview, and complete an exit interview. Students selected for verification by the federal government must furnish income and household data upon request. In addition, due to government regulations, students may need to submit additional information to the office upon request. All of these requirements and other requirements that students must satisfy are described in the Federal Student Aid Handbook www.ifap.ed.gov.

All federal financial aid awards are contingent upon the enrollment status of the student at the time of the award. Changes in enrollment status may result in changes to the award. For example, if a student registers with a full-time course load (at least 12 credits) and then drops below full-time, the student may lose a portion of federal aid and be responsible for repaying the funds to the federal government or the college. The amount to repay is calculated from a formula provided by the federal government. Failure to repay funds may result in a loss of aid eligibility for all federal student aid at SUNY Plattsburgh and any other institutions, and account holds, as well.

State Aid Programs and Eligibility

Our Web pages include descriptions of state aid programs. The most common state aid programs include the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP), Excelsior Scholarship, and other state programs offered by the Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC).

To apply for the Tuition Assistance Program, click “Apply for Aid” on our Web page at www.plattsburgh.edu/financialaid and follow the relevant steps. To apply for other state aid programs, follow the instructions provided by the specific aid program. These are available online at www.hesc.ny.gov.

In order to be eligible for TAP, students must complete the online TAP application, satisfy state residency requirements, and progress each semester. (See Satisfactory Academic Progress). Students must be enrolled in a New York state institution full-time and meet GPA requirements. Matriculated students may only receive aid for courses that are required for their degree. Students may receive state aid only once for a course with an acceptable grade earned for graduation. Receiving aid for a repeat course is only allowed if the student received an initial grade that was not acceptable and the repeat is required for graduation. Due to state regulations, students may need to submit additional information to our office upon request. All of these requirements and other requirements that students must satisfy are described in the HESC Programs, Policies, and Procedures at www.hesc.ny.gov.

Similar to federal aid, all state financial aid awards are contingent upon the enrollment status of the student at the time of the award. Changes in enrollment status may result in changes to the award. For example, students will lose a TAP award if their enrollment status falls below full-time (at least 12 credits) prior to the end of the fourth week of the semester. If changes in enrollment status reduce award levels, students may be responsible for repaying the funds to the state government or the college. Failure to repay funds may result in a loss of aid eligibility for all state aid at SUNY Plattsburgh and any other institutions, and account holds, as well.

Institutional Aid Programs and Eligibility

Student Accounts offers two payment plans that are designed to assist those students and their families who find it difficult to pay their total bill by the due date. A payment plan brochure may be downloaded at https://www.plattsburgh.edu/cost-aid/index.html.

The Office of Admissions, the Global Education Office, and academic departments award most institutional grants, scholarships, and housing discounts. New students’ eligibility for awards is determined through review of academic records undertaken by the Office of Admissions (518-564-2040) for new domestic students and by the Global Education Office (518-564-3287) for new international students. In the spring, academic departments select continuing students from within their major for grants and scholarships based upon academic achievement. Visit our Web pages or contact one of these departments for more information on institutional programs.

Some institutional awards have criteria that students must satisfy in order for the award to be renewed from semester to semester (e.g., minimum GPAs, on-campus residence, etc.). In order to renew an award, students must satisfy all the criteria outlined in their initial award letter. The Financial Aid Office evaluates whether students satisfy these criteria at the end of each semester. Once the evaluation is complete, Financial Aid cancels all aid for which the student did not satisfy the standards and notifies the student. The first time a student fails a GPA standard, the student is automatically assigned one semester of probation and the award is reinstated for this probationary semester. If the student does not satisfy all the standards at the end of this probationary semester or in any future semester, the student becomes ineligible for the award. Institutional awards cancelled for these reasons are lost permanently. If an award is for undergraduate study, a student will lose the award if their enrollment status changes to graduate student, even if the student meets all other criteria.

Private Aid Programs and Eligibility

Private financial aid programs generally include grants and scholarships from non-profit organizations and alternative loans from banks and other lenders. The sponsor determines the application procedures for private grants and scholarships, such as Gates Millennium and Elks Scholarship. Students can use one of the scholarship search engines to search for private grants and scholarships. Some banks offer alternative loans to students who need additional assistance in meeting college costs.

Veterans Affairs Aid Programs and Eligibility

Financial aid staff is available to assist students in obtaining educational benefits sponsored by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Veterans, active duty service personnel, and their families may be eligible for funding through Chapter 1606/1607 (Reserves and National Guard), Chapter 30 (Montgomery GI Bill), Chapter 31 (Vocational Rehabilitation), Chapter 32 (VEAP), Chapter 33 (Post 9/11 GI Bill), and Chapter 35 (DEA).

For more information visit the GI Bill website www.gibill.va.gov. This website includes an online application for VA education benefits, called VONAPP. The Veterans Support Coordinator also assists veterans, those in the National Guard, reservists, and dependents (spouses and children) of veterans/active-duty military personnel in taking full advantage of the educational benefits available to them through the GI Bill and other military-affiliated programs.

For questions about VA, DoD and other military-related benefits, please call the Veterans Support Office at 518-564-4425 or email lalle001@plattsburgh.edu.

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

Students must satisfy minimum academic standards in order to remain eligible for federal and state aid programs. The Financial Aid Office evaluates whether students satisfy these standards at the end of each semester. Based on the evaluation, Financial Aid assigns a satisfactory academic progress (SAP) status for the upcoming semester and depending upon the result, may be required to cancel all financial aid for which the student is ineligible.

Federal Eligibility Standards

All matriculated students must meet the following standards to both establish and maintain eligibility for federal aid programs. Satisfactory academic progress (SAP) standards are evaluated at the end of each semester. SAP standards for federal aid programs include qualitative (GPA) and quantitative (pace) components, and maximum time frame requirements.

Qualitative Measure (GPA). Students who have completed less than one year of academic pursuit must maintain a minimum Plattsburgh cumulative GPA of 1.6. At one year completed and beyond, a 2.0 minimum cumulative GPA is required.

The cumulative GPA at Plattsburgh does not include transfer coursework, or the following grades: pass (P), incomplete (I), withdrawal (W), withdrawal from college (WC), non-credit (NC), non-available (N), proficiency (PR), and audit (U). The college’s Academic Amnesty Policy does not apply to the evaluation of satisfactory academic progress for financial aid. Grades removed under academic amnesty will continue to be counted in the SAP review.

Quantitative Measure (Pace). Students who have completed less than one year of academic pursuit must earn at least 50% of all credits attempted. At one year completed and beyond, 66.7% of all attempted credits must be earned.

Transfer credits accepted at SUNY Plattsburgh count as both attempted and completed credits. Note that pass (P) grades are considered completed credits, although the following are not: failure (E), incomplete (I), withdrawal (W), withdrawal from college (WC), non-credit (NC), non-available (N), proficiency (PR), and audit (U).

Maximum Time Frame. Students must successfully complete their degree pursuit within 150% of the credits required for graduation. Generally, 150% is a maximum of 180 attempted credits or six years of study. Upon request from the student, the number of years remaining will be adjusted for students who have graduated from Plattsburgh and are working on their second bachelor’s degree.

Repeated Credits. Students may repeat coursework according to University academic policy, defined in the college catalog. Federal aid programs may only be used one time for retaking previously passed coursework. The most recent/last grade earned in repeat coursework will be used in the GPA computation and only courses taken and repeated at SUNY Plattsburgh (or through cross registration) will count toward a student’s GPA. Each course attempt is included in the quantitative and maximum time frame components of SAP review.

Remedial and English as a Second Language (ESL) Credit Limitations. The maximum number of remedial and ESL credits attempted for which aid may be received is 30 credits. Students must attend in college-level coursework while taking remedial and ESL classes, earning at least 3 college-level credits in their first semester and at least 6 college-level credits in subsequent semesters.

Financial Aid Warning and Appeals. The first time students fail a federal standard (other than maximum time frame and maximum semesters for Pell), they are automatically assigned one-semester of warning and continue to receive federal aid during this warning semester.

If ineligible for federal aid, students may continue to attend without federal aid or appeal for a probation term.

If students have not exceeded the maximum time frame for federal aid or maximum TAP points, students can regain eligibility through two options.

First, students can attend without federal and state aid while addressing all of the failed standards. Students will become eligible again once all the minimum standards are satisfied again. In this situation, students could consider using an alternative loan to help fund educational expenses.

Second, students may appeal for a probation term. The form is available in the directory of forms. Appeals are warranted under extraordinary and unusual circumstances beyond the control of the student that had an inevitable impact on academic performance. Examples may involve an unexpected acute physical illness, unforeseen acute psychological condition, or unanticipated catastrophic event experienced by the student, parent, spouse or partner.

The student must thoroughly and comprehensively document the circumstances in writing from credible sources. There must also be a reasonable expectation that the student will meet all future requirements. In general, students may only receive one appeal in their academic career. An appeal is only valid for one semester of probation. By the end of this semester, students must satisfy all of the academic standards in order to regain eligibility.

Students may not appeal the maximum time frame for federal aid or maximum TAP points for state aid.

* The 1.6 minimum GPA applies to all students with < 16 attempted credits at Plattsburgh.

** The minimum cumulative GPA for TEACH grants is 3.25. Federal regulations do not authorize warning terms for TEACH grants.

New York State Eligibility Standards

Students must satisfy minimum academic standards in order to remain eligible for federal and state aid programs. Financial Aid evaluates whether students satisfy these standards at the end of each semester. Once the evaluation is complete, each student is assigned a satisfactory academic progress (SAP) status for the upcoming semester.

The standards for state aid programs depend upon the number of TAP points earned by the student (see table below).

A student earns 6 points for each TAP award used during the spring and fall semester (12 per year), and earns 3 TAP points for using a part-time TAP award during summer sessions or for a single APTS award.

For example, in order to meet state standards, a student with 30 TAP points must have completed 12 required credits during the last semester with a TAP award at Plattsburgh, have earned at least 45 credits during their academic career, and have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 at Plattsburgh.

TAP recipients are also required to declare a major by the time fifty-seven credits are earned by the student. Unlike federal regulations, the state does not have a probationary semester. The first time a student fails one of these standards, the student is ineligible for TAP and other NYS awards the following semester. Note that incomplete (I) and failure (E) grades are considered completed credits, although the following are not: withdrawal (W), withdrawal failing (WE), unknown (UK), noncredit (NC), non-available (N), proficiency (PR) and audit (U). Students may appeal to waive ineligibility.

* Only EOP students are eligible.
** Some state aid programs have different academic standing criteria. Visit www.hesc.ny.gov for more information on the conditions for award eligibility and renewability.

* Only EOP students are eligible.

Excelsior Eligibility Standards

An Excelsior recipient must be enrolled in at least 12 credits of degree requirements each term and successfully complete 30 credits of degree requirements each evaluation year, or the equivalent, with no break in attendance unless such break in attendance is allowable, pursuant to program regulations.  A recipient who has not earned 30 credits of degree requirements in the evaluation year is deemed to have the equivalent of 30 credits if he/she has earned degree requirements per the schedule below:

In general, undergraduate coursework is eligible for Excelsior if it satisfies the degree requirements for a student’s first or second major.  Degree requirements include a total of 120 credits of general education (GE) courses, major courses, elective credits, and additional requirements.  Visit Guidelines to Select Aid-Eligible Coursework for more information.

Guidelines to Select Aid-Eligible Coursework

Undergraduate New York State (NYS) financial aid programs include the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP), SUNY Tuition Credit, and other miscellaneous programs administered by the Higher Education Services Corporation (www.hesc.ny.gov).  Undergraduate Federal Aid Programs include Work-Study, Pell Grants, TEACH Grants, Supplemental Grants (SEOG), Perkins Loan, Nursing Loans, Subsidized Loan, Unsubsidized Loans, and Parent PLUS Loans (www.studentaid.ed.gov).  Visit the corresponding links for a comprehensive description of eligibility requirements and additional information. 

Not every course that you register for in a semester may be eligible for financial aid.  There are specific New York State and federal rules that determine whether a course is eligible for financial aid.  SUNY Plattsburgh bases your financial aid package upon the number of aid-eligible credit hours, and not total credit hours.  The purpose of this document is to help students and advisors identify courses that are aid-eligible, and in doing so prevent financial aid cancellations and reductions. 
 

In general, undergraduate coursework is aid-eligible if it satisfies the degree requirements for a student’s first major.  Degree requirements include a total of 120 credits of general education (GE) courses, major courses, elective credits, and additional requirements.  Degree requirements are summarized in the Undergraduate Catalog for a student’s catalog year and also on Degree Works Audits.  We encourage students and advisors to use two online tools to help identify aid-eligible courses: Degree Works Audits and Compliance Results for Financial Aid (the latter is a relatively new link on MyPlattsburgh).  Ultimately, maintaining aid-eligibility is the student’s responsibility.  In addition, here are some guidelines to help select aid-eligible courses:

• If you have a major, enroll in non-repeat courses that satisfy the degree requirements for your first major.  For a full-time aid package, enroll in at least 12 credits of non-repeat courses that satisfy the degree requirements for your first major.
• Students with optional second majors and optional minors should use electives to satisfy coursework for the second major or minor, or take these optional courses beyond 12 aid-eligible credits.
• If you plan to repeat a course, take the repeat course above 12 aid-eligible credits or contact the Financial Aid Office in order to determine whether the repeat is aid-eligible.
• If you are undeclared, all non-repeat coursework is aid-eligible during freshmen and sophomore years (i.e. before earning 57 credits).  Remember to declare a major before earning 57 credits.
• If you change majors or declare a major before the end of the add/drop period for a semester, ensure your coursework satisfies the degree requirements for the new major.
• If you are considering withdrawing from some or all your courses, contact the Financial Aid Office and ask how this would impact your financial aid in both the current and next semester.

There are exceptions to these guidelines and additional rules.  Below please find additional information and explanations regarding: Eligible Degree Programs, Degree Requirements, Eligible Coursework, Full-Time and Part-Time Status,  Undeclared Students, Double Majors, Minors, Change of Major, Repeat Coursework, Final Term of Study, Experiential Learning, Pre-Requisite Coursework, Course Deviations, and Withdrawals. 

Eligible Degree Programs

Only degree programs approved by the New York State Education Department (NYSED) are eligible for NYS and federal financial aid programs.  At SUNY Plattsburgh, NYSED has recognized all undergraduate majors as being aid-eligible degree programs, as well as an undergraduate Certificate in Communication Disorders and Sciences.  Unfortunately, minors are not recognized as being eligible for NYS or federal aid programs.  Minors are only aid-eligible when included as a degree requirement for a major, when satisfying other requirements, or when taken beyond 12 credits of degree requirements (see Minors).  Visit the NYS Inventory of Registered Programs for a list of approved degree programs.

 Degree Requirements

The college catalog defines the degree requirements to graduate in each major at SUNY Plattsburgh.  Degree requirements include a total of 120 credits of general education (GE) courses, major courses, elective credits, and additional requirements.  The number of required elective credits for each major is equivalent to the 120 credits less the number of GE and major credits.  For example, in order to graduate with a Bachelor’s in Biology, students can complete 33 credits of GE courses, 68 credits of major courses, and 19 credits of electives for a total of 120 credits.  The college catalog defines the specific courses in these areas.  

Eligible Coursework

NYS. A course is eligible for NYS aid programs if the course satisfies a degree requirement in a student’s first major.  For double majors, the first major on file with the Registrar is used to establish a student’s degree requirements (see Double Majors).   There are exceptions for undeclared students and students in their final term of study (see Undeclared Students and Final Term of Study).  In addition, the NYS Excelsior Scholarship program is the only NYS aid program that allows double majors (see Double Majors).

Federal. A course is eligible for federal aid programs if the course satisfies a degree requirement in a first or second major.  While for federal aid there are no restrictions on the number of majors, double majors should sequence courses in order to avoid loss of the following three federal aid programs: Pell, TEACH, and SEOG (see Double Majors).

Full-Time and Part-Time Status

NYS. Students must enroll in at least 12 credits of degree requirements in their first major in order to be eligible for most NYS aid programs.  If a student enrolls in at least 12 credits of degree requirements, then he or she is considered full-time for NYS aid programs.  Students who enroll in 11 or fewer required credits are not eligible for most NYS aid programs.  Repeat coursework only counts as being eligible for NYS aid under certain conditions (see Repeat Coursework).  Note that courses taken beyond 12 credits of degree requirements would not impact full-time status, and could be required or not.  

Federal. If a student enrolls in at least 12 credits of degree requirements in any major then he or she is considered full-time for federal aid programs.  Note that while students must be full-time to remain eligible for most NYS aid programs, students may be part-time and remain eligible for most federal aid programs.  However, if a student moves from full-time to part-time status, some federal aid programs may need to be reduced or cancelled.  Repeat coursework only counts as required under certain conditions (see Repeat Coursework). 

Example:  Student A is a declared biology major.  Per the undergraduate course catalog, in order to graduate biology majors can complete 33 credits of GE requirements, 68 credits of major requirements, and 19 credits of electives for a total of 120 credits.  For the fall semester, Student A enrolls in 6 credits of GE requirements, 3 credits of biology requirements, and 3 credits of electives.  Before the fall, Student A had completed 6 of 19 credits of electives, leaving 13 more to satisfy.  Student A is eligible for a full-time aid package for both NYS and federal aid programs because he or she is enrolled in 12 credits degree requirements in the first major.
 

Note that Student A would not have been eligible for TAP, and also considered part-time for federal aid (i.e. ¾ time), if he or she entered the fall semester with 19 or more credits of electives.  If this would have been the case, his or her elective block would have already been satisfied; the 3 elective credits would not have satisfied any degree requirement and therefore would not have been eligible for NYS and federal aid.  In this scenario, to regain TAP eligibility and full-time status for federal aid, he or she could elect to register for 3 more credits of degree requirements.  This would result in a total of 15 credits for the semester, of which 12 are degree requirements and eligible for TAP and federal aid.

Undeclared Students

NYS and Federal:  At SUNY Plattsburgh students move from sophomore to junior status upon earning 57 credits.  NYS regulations state that in order to remain eligible for financial aid, students must declare a major within 30 days of the first term of their junior year (i.e., earning 57 credits).  All non-repeat coursework taken by undeclared majors before this, during their freshmen and sophomore years, is considered eligible for both NYS and federal aid programs.  Any repeat coursework taken by undeclared majors during these years would have to meet standard conditions (see Repeat Coursework).

• Example:  Student B is an undeclared sophomore who has earned 30 credits.  If Student B registers for 12 credits in the upcoming spring semester, all 12 credits are aid-eligible for both NYS and federal aid programs.  Student B must remember to declare a major before earning 57 credits and becoming a junior. 
•  
• Note that if Student B decides to declare an education major before end of the add/drop period for the spring semester, than the exception for undeclared majors no longer applies.  The 12 credits would have to satisfy the degree requirements for an education major in order for Student B to remain eligible for a full-time aid package for both NYS and federal aid programs.  If not, NYS and federal aid programs would have to be cancelled or reduced (see Change of Major).

Double Majors

NYS:  Students are allowed to declare more than one major at SUNY Plattsburgh.  However, only courses that satisfy a degree requirement for the first major are considered eligible for NYS aid programs, excluding the NYS Excelsior Scholarship.  A course that only satisfies a degree requirement for a second major is not eligible for NYS aid programs and does not count toward full-time status.  The only exception is when the degree requirements for the first major include a second major.  For example, some majors allow students to satisfy a Cognate requirement by completing a second major.  There are only a few majors at SUNY Plattsburgh that allow students to satisfy degree requirements with a second major.  

A course that simultaneously satisfies a degree requirement for a first and second major is eligible for NYS aid programs.  Any course beyond 12 required credits could apply solely to a second major and not impact eligibly for NYS aid.

Note that the NYS Excelsior Scholarship allows for double majors.  It is the only NYS aid program that considers coursework that applies toward multiple majors as being aid-eligible.

Federal: The federal rules for double majors are specific to three grant programs: Pell, TEACH, and the SEOG grants.  For these three programs, the federal government considers an undergraduate student to have graduated once the student completes all of the degree requirements for one major, whether the student has been conferred a Bachelor’s degree or not.  A student is no longer eligible for Pell, TEACH, and SEOG once this occurs, but will remain eligible for other federal aid programs (ex. federal student loans).  Double majors can avoid losing these three aid programs by arranging courses to enter their final semester with degree requirements in both majors.

• Example: Student C is a double major in marketing and psychology. Marketing is the first major and psychology is the second major. Student C has not completed the graduation requirement for either major. Student C registers for 12 credits in the upcoming fall semester: 3 credits of GE requirements, 3 credits of major requirements for marketing, 3 credits satisfy major requirements for both marketing and psychology, and 3 credits of major requirements for only psychology. Before the fall, Student C had completed 10 of 20 credits in the electives block for marketing, leaving 10 more credits of electives to satisfy.
  
  Student C is eligible for a full-time federal aid package because he or she is enrolled in 12 credits of degree requirements and upon entering the fall semester he or she still had degree requirements left to satisfy in both majors.  Student C is also eligible for a full-time NYS aid package because he or she is enrolled in 12 credits of degree requirements in the first major (i.e. marketing); the 3 credits of psychology also count as electives for marketing.
  
  Note that if Student C would have entered the fall semester with 20 or more credits of electives for marketing, his or her elective block would have already been full and the 3 psychology credits would not have satisfied any degree requirements in the first major, and would not be eligible for NYS aid programs.  Under this scenario, the student would have had 9 credits of NYS aid-eligible credits and been ineligible for TAP.  To regain TAP eligibility, he or she could elect to register for another 3 credits of GE or marketing requirements for a total of 15 credits, of which 12 of them would be eligible for TAP.
   

Minors

NYS and Federal:  Coursework that solely satisfies a minor is not considered eligible for NYS and federal aid programs.  The only exception is when the degree requirements for the first major include a minor.  For example, some majors allow students to satisfy a Cognate requirement by completing a minor.  There are only a few majors at SUNY Plattsburgh that allow students to satisfy degree requirements with a minor. 

A course that simultaneously satisfies a degree requirement for a first major and minor is eligible for NYS and federal aid programs.  A course beyond 12 credits of degree requirements has no restrictions and could apply solely to a minor.

• Example:  Student D is an education major with a minor in computer science.  This is an optional minor, not one that satisfies any education degree requirements.  Student D registers for 9 credits in the spring that are degree requirements for both NYS and federal aid.  Student D is deciding whether to enroll in a course that only applies toward the computer science minor or one that satisfies both the minor and an education degree requirement.  Student D would not be eligible for a full-time aid package if he or she selects the course that solely applies to the minor, but would if the other course is chosen.  Student D would also be eligible for a full-time aid package if he or she elected to enroll in both courses.

Change of Major

NYS and Federal Aid:  A course is eligible for NYS aid programs if the course satisfies a degree requirement in a student’s first major.  A course is eligible for federal aid programs if the course satisfies a degree requirement in a first or second major.  The major in place at the end of the add/drop period is used to determine aid-eligibility.  If a student changes their major before the end of the add/drop period, then the degree requirements for the new major would be used to determine aid-eligibility instead of the previous major.  If a student is no longer considered full-time under the new major, then NYS and federal aid programs would cancelled or reduced in the term of the major change.  Avoid this by making any major changes effective after the end of the add/drop period, or ensuring all coursework in the semester satisfies the degree requirements for the new major.

• Example:  Student E is an accounting major and this fall is enrolled in 15 credits of degree requirements for NYS and federal aid programs.  Student E changes their major to philosophy before the add/drop period ends.  After this change, only 6 of 15 credits are considered degree requirements under the new major.  Student E would no longer be eligible for a full-time aid package in the fall for both NYS and federal aid programs.  Fall aid programs may have to be reduced or cancelled.  Student E could avoid all aid losses by delaying the major change or effective date until after the add/drop period is over.

Repeat Coursework

NYS:  A repeat course is eligible for NYS aid programs when both the following conditions are satisfied: a) the course is a degree requirement in the first major; b) the initial grade was not acceptable for graduation as defined in the college catalog.  A repeat course is not eligible for NYS aid programs if the original grade would allow for graduation.  A student who wishes to repeat an originally “passed” course in the hopes of improving the grade and his or her overall grade point average cannot count the repeat toward full-time status for NYS aid programs.  Repeat courses are also eligible for NYS aid programs for certain physical education, music, independent study, and other courses in which credit is earned each time.  Any repeat course beyond 12 required credits does not impact full-time status.

Federal:    A repeat course is eligible for federal aid programs depending upon whether the course was previously passed or not.  Federal regulations define passing as any grade higher than an “E” regardless of any graduation requirements or college policy that establish a minimum higher grade.  A course that was previously passed (i.e. grade > “E”) may only be repeated once for federal aid programs.  A course that was previously failed is eligible for federal aid until the course is passed with a grade higher than “E”.  There are no restrictions on the number of repeats for a previously failed course (i.e. grade = “E”).

• Example:  Student F registers for 9 credits of degree requirements for both NYS and federal aid in the fall.  Student F also registers for 3 credits of repeat coursework for a total of 12 credits.  Student F originally earned a “D” grade in the course.  The college catalog indicates that a) the repeat course is a degree requirement; and b) that a “C” or higher is required in this specific course for graduation.  The student is eligible for a full-time aid package for both NYS and federal aid programs.  If the student happened to earn another “D” in the repeat course and needed to repeat it for a second time, it would not be allowed for federal aid since the “D” grade would have been considered passing according to federal rules.

Final Term of Study

NYS:  Students must enroll in 12 credits or more of degree requirements in the first major in order to be eligible for a full-time aid package for NYS aid programs.  The only exception is in a student’s final term of study.  If a student has less than 12 credits of degree requirements to graduate in their final term, optional elective courses are considered eligible for NYS aid and may be included to determine full-time status.  However, if the student does not graduate at the end of this term, all optional courses would no longer be considered NYS aid-eligible and be removed from the calculation of full-time status.  Any reductions or cancellations to NYS aid programs would be applied retroactively.

Federal:  For Pell, TEACH, and the SEOG grants, the federal government considers an undergraduate student to have graduated once the student completes all of the degree requirements for one major, whether the student has been conferred a Bachelor’s degree or not.  Once this occurs a student is no longer eligible for Pell, TEACH, and SEOG, but he or she will remain eligible for other federal aid programs (ex. student loans). 

• Example:  Student G is in her final term of study and only has 6 degree requirements remaining to graduate.  Student G registers for these 6 credits in the spring as well as 6 optional credits.   Student G is eligible for a full-time aid package for NYS aid programs because this is her final term of study.  Student G is eligible for a half-time aid package for Pell, TEACH, and SEOG.  Note that if Student G passes all of these classes but is not conferred a degree at the end of the spring term, her spring TAP would be retroactively cancelled even though the semester had already ended.  If she enrolled in classes in the next fall term, she would be ineligible for Pell, TEACH, and SEOG because all degree requirements would have been satisfied.

Experiential Learning

NYS and Federal Aid:  Experiential learning includes internships, and both study-away and study-abroad programs. There are no specific exceptions for these experiential learning opportunities.  Students who plan to use NYS and federal aid to help fund these opportunities should ensure that coursework satisfies degree requirements and is aid-eligible.  Sometimes students must change courses in study-away or study abroad programs upon arrival at the host location, and students should ensure that any course schedule revisions would also satisfy degree requirements and also be aid-eligible.  Transcripts may be evaluated upon return to campus and aid may be retroactively impacted by optional coursework.

• Example:  Student H is participating in a study-abroad program in Italy in the fall.  He submits his Permission to Attend Form to the Registrar and it includes 12 credits of degree requirements in Italy.  However, upon arriving at the campus in Italy, one of the original 3 credit classes is full and he substitutes it with a different course.  When he returns to SUNY Plattsburgh, his official transcript indicates that the substitute class does not satisfy a degree requirement.  His fall package would be retroactively adjusted to reflect 9 credits instead of 12 credits, and he would be responsible for any account balance resulting from this.

Pre-Requisite Coursework

NYS and Federal Aid: A pre-requisite course is eligible for NYS aid programs if the course satisfies a degree requirement in a student’s first major.  A pre-requisite course is eligible for federal aid programs if the course satisfies a degree requirement in a first or second major.  Pre-requisites that are not listed as degree requirements in the Catalog are ineligible for both NYS and federal aid programs.

Course Deviations

NYS and Federal Aid:  Approved course deviations that satisfy degree requirements are eligible for NYS and federal aid programs as long as the deviation is an appropriate substitution and there is no other path that would allow the student to graduate.  The lack of class availability does not result in optional classes becoming aid-eligible except for students in their final term of study with NYS aid programs (see Final Term of Study).  

Withdrawals

NYS and Federal: Withdrawing from some or all of your classes can impact semester charges (ex. tuition, fees, etc.) and financial aid, leaving students with an unexpected account balance for a semester.   There are two questions that students want to answer before making the final decision to withdraw:

• How will this affect my charges and financial aid this semester?
• How will this affect my financial aid next semester?

If a student is considering withdrawing from some or all their courses, we encourage the student to contact the Financial Aid Office and ask these two questions.  It can impact either this semester or next, both, or neither.   The impact depends upon the following factors: the timing of the withdrawal (i.e. the effective date of the withdrawal); the length of the course; the different aid programs in the aid package; and the number of credits retained after withdrawing.