April is Financial Aid Awareness Month in New York State. The month is dedicated to providing students and families with information about the importance of completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form.

Gov. Kathy Hochul also announced that the Petrie Foundation has awarded the City University of New York $1 million to launch CUNY Financial Aid Support Team (FAST) to help 100,000 students complete the FAFSA. The program will run through September 2024. Additionally, Hochul is launching the 2024 New York STEM incentive program on April 3, which will offer tuition awards to New York State students at State University of New York or City University of New York campuses pursuing a degree in an approved Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics field of study. Applicants must also agree to live and work in New York State for five years after graduation.

"For New Yorkers who want to pursue higher education, financial aid is a critical tool that can help transform their dreams into a reality," Hochul said. "Far too often, students and families miss out on the full scope of financial aid opportunities available to them, causing many to miss out on this critical support. We’re bridging the information gap and providing students with the resources they need to complete their FAFSA application and unlock financial aid opportunities that can support their higher education journey.”

To kick off Financial Aid Awareness Month, Hochul unveiled several initiatives to help students pursue a higher education degree. These include:

Encouraging New York State high school seniors to complete their FAFSA application and take full advantage of financial aid programs by sending letters to students across the state highlighting the resources available to them.
Announcing the Petrie Foundation has awarded CUNY $1 million to launch FAST, a new FAFSA completion program in partnership with New York City Public Schools and other institutional partners to target 100,000 at-risk students through September 2024.
Launching the 2024 New York State STEM Incentive Program application on April 3 to support New York State students pursuing a STEM degree at any SUNY or CUNY campus. Applicants must also agree to live and work in New York State for five years after graduation.
Highlighting events across New York State to help students and families navigate the financial aid process.

For more information about the FAFSA and the financial aid available to students, visit: https://www.hesc.ny.gov/fafsaready.