Expenses & Financial Aid

Tuition, mandatory fees, and other fees are subject to change after publication of the catalog.  Visit our Tuition and Fees website for current rates and additional information.  Contact Student Financial Services for more information: sfs@plattsburgh.edu or 518-564-2072.

Below is a summary of estimated tuition and fees as of March 2023.

Estimated Tuition

*A student at SUNY Plattsburgh is eligible for the online non-resident tuition rate if the student satisfies the following three criteria in a term:

• Matriculated in one of our exclusively online academic programs; and
• Only enrolled in online distance learning courses in a given term; and
• 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.

SUNY Plattsburgh may require the student to submit documentation that demonstrates the student satisfies the criteria above.  A non-resident student with fully online coursework matriculated in any other academic program will be charged the standard non-resident tuition rate even if the student has not resided within the borders of New York state within the fiscal year.

Estimated Mandatory Fees
Mandatory fees are charged to all students to support several university activities and services. These fees are assessed to all enrolled students and are essential for the university to operate. Mandatory fees are not user-based fees and students are encouraged to take advantage of the benefits these fees provide.

When specified criteria is met, a waiver of mandatory fees may be considered upon request and on a case-by-case basis.  The deadline to request waiver of mandatory fees is the last day of classes for the corresponding semester.  Visit our Tuition and Fees website for more information.  * Students matriculated in one of our exclusively online academic programs will not have these mandatory fees.

Estimated Other Fees

Other and optional fees provide various student services, programs, and initiatives. Visit our Tuition and Fees website to learn more about these fees.  Below is a summary of some of the more common ones.

Eligibility Requirements for New York State Tuition Rate

Many parents and students are interested in understanding the requirements to qualify for the NYS resident tuition rate at the State University of New York. The difference between the resident and non-resident tuition rates is significant and the eligibility requirements for the in-state rate are complex.  Visit our Guide to Resident Tuition Policy for a summary of the eligibility criteria, the application for NYS residency for tuition purposes, and application due dates.

Semester Billing

We email a bill announcement for each semester of enrollment, and instruct students to login to MyPlattsburgh to view the bill, select optional fees, and confirm enrollment. For example, we start to email bill announcements for the fall semester in early July with a due date in early August. We start to email bills for the spring semester in late November with a due date in mid-December. Once a student receives an email bill announcement, they have until the due date to select optional fees, confirm enrollment, and make payment in full.  Students normally have about three weeks between the bill date and due date.

The bill needs a response. The optional fee selections that are made on the bill activate that fee (if chosen), or remove the fee from the account. Failure to process the bill or pay the bill by established due dates may result in administrative fees, late fees, and holds.

Tuition and Fee Refund Schedules

Students may drop a course during the specified add/drop period via the MyPlattsburgh online registration system. Afterwards, students must complete the Course Schedule Adjustment form and receive permission to officially withdraw from a course. Once a drop or withdrawal is processed, the effective date will be established and the student’s tuition liability and any applicable refund will be calculated based upon the effective withdrawal date.  Visit Tuition and Refund Schedules for more information on refunds for tuition and fees.

Account Refunds

An account refund occurs when the account credits for a semester (payments, financial aid, etc.) exceed the account debits (tuition, fees, etc.) for a semester.  SUNY Plattsburgh delivers account refunds to students via BankMobile Disbursements.  Visit www.refundselection.com if you need to select a refund preference or BankMobile Disbursements for more information.

Account refunds 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.

Financial Aid

Student Financial Services (SFS) administers financial aid programs that are designed to help students 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 at Student Financial Services.  Contact Student Financial Services for more information: sfs@plattsburgh.edu or 518-564-2072.

Federal Aid Programs and Eligibility

Follow the steps at Apply for Aid to apply for federal aid programs.  If you apply for federal aid programs, SFS will determine your eligibility for federal grants, loans, and work-study based upon your responses on the federal application (FAFSA). Our Web pages includes descriptions of these programs.  Additional information can be found at Student Financial Services and https://studentaid.gov/.

In order to be eligible for federal aid, students must file the FAFSA, meet federal citizenship and residency requirements, possess a social security number, 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 satisfy degree requirements. 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.

For all federal loans, students must complete all federal requirements, such as a master promissory note and entrance 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 these requirements and other requirements that students must satisfy are described at Who Gets Aid and also in the Federal Student Aid Handbook.

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.

NYS Aid Programs and Eligibility

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

Follow the steps at Apply for Aid to apply for TAP and the Excelsior Scholarship.  To apply for other NYS aid programs, follow the instructions provided by the specific aid program at HESC.

In order to be eligible for TAP, students must complete the online TAP application, satisfy state residency requirements, and NYS standards for academic progress each semester.  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 satisfy degree requirements.  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 NYS 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

Institutional gift aid (IGA) includes scholarships, grants, and housing awards funded by SUNY Plattsburgh.  New students are evaluated for IGA at the time of admission and eligibility is determined based upon objective information in the application for admission.  Academic departments select continuing students from within their major for IGA based upon objective information in the academic records of students.  Visit here for more information on IGA for new and continuing students.

Some IGA has criteria that students must satisfy for it to be renewed from semester to semester (e.g., minimum GPAs, on-campus residence, etc.).  In order to renew IGA, students must satisfy all the criteria outlined in their initial notification of the award.  SFS evaluates whether students satisfy these criteria at the end of each semester. Once the evaluation is complete, SFS cancels all IGA 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 IGA 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 permanently ineligible for the IGA program.  If an IGA program requires undergraduate study, a student will lose it if their enrollment status changes to graduate level, 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 a scholarship search engine to search for private grants and scholarships. Some banks offer private loans to students who need additional assistance in meeting college costs.

Veterans Affairs Aid Programs and Eligibility

SFS 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 ®)
• Chapter 35 (DEA)

Visit www.gibill.va.gov for more information on these educational benefits.

SFS is responsible for certifying the enrollment of VA educational benefits.  Visit Veteran Benefits for instructions on how to submit a request for certification.  Certifications must be requested every semester. 

Guidelines to Select Aid-Eligible Coursework

Not every course that a student register for in a semester may be eligible for financial aid.  There are specific NYS 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.

In general, undergraduate coursework is aid-eligible if it satisfies the degree requirements for a student’s first major.  However, there are exceptions to this rule.  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. 

Visit Guidelines to Select Aid-Eligible Coursework  for help identifying courses that are aid-eligible and for a summary of exceptions.  Selecting aid-eligible course work will prevent financial aid cancellations and reductions.

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

Students must satisfy minimum academic standards in order to remain eligible for federal and NYS aid programs. SFS evaluates whether students satisfy these standards at the end of each semester. Based on the evaluation, SFS 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

Students must satisfy minimum academic standards in order to remain eligible for federal and NYS aid programs. SFS evaluates whether students satisfy these standards at the end of each semester. Based on the evaluation, SFS 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.

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

All matriculated students must meet the following standards to both establish and maintain eligibility for NYS aid programs.  NYS SAP standards are evaluated at the end of each semester, and include GAP and progress to degree components, and maximum time frame requirements.

* 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.