The FAFSA, officially known as the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, is the form that families fill out to apply for federal grants, loans, and work-study funds for college students. It is administered by the U.S. Department of Education.  Your eligibility for federal grants (which don’t have to be repaid) and federal loans (which do) will generally be based on your financial need, as determined by the information you supply on your FAFSA. The online FAFSA form will guide you step by step. Once you complete and submit the application, your information automatically gets sent to the schools you listed on your FAFSA form.Your school will send you an aid offer listing the types and amounts of aid you're eligible for.  While FAFSA does not offer scholarships, many states, schools, or other organizations do—and we’ve got a scholarship search to help you find that free money. 

 The Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC) is New York State’s higher education student financial aid agency.

HESC Administers:
-  New York’s Tuition Assistance Program (TAP)
-  20+ State scholarship and loan forgiveness programs
-  New York’s 529 College Savings Program, with the Office of the State      Comptroller (OSC)
-  Financial aid outreach programs for students and families