Current Students

How to apply for financial aid for 2024-2025 returning students. 

Undergraduates seeking renewal of grants, work, or loans from Federal, State, or Rensselaer sources must complete the 2024-25 Renewal Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).    Graduate students seeking renewal of their Federal Direct Loan or Federal Grad PLUS Loan eligibility must also file a Renewal FAFSA.  Students seeking to renew only their Rensselaer merit scholarship funding are not required to file the FAFSA.

The 2024-25 FAFSA will be filed using 2022 Federal tax year data.  2022 tax filers may use the IRS Direct Data Exchange (DDX) to populate basic FAFSA income data. Follow FAFSA instructions carefully to ensure proper reporting of all 2022 taxable income, untaxed income, assets, and other important data that is not included in the DDX data pull.

  • 2024-25 Priority Funding Dates:  Filing promptly gives us more time to review your application, verify your eligibility, and process your awards so they appear on your initial 2024-25 billing statements.
    • The Arch Program, Summer 2024 On Campus: March 15, 2024
    • All Other Returning Students: April 1, 2024
       
  • FSA ID:   When starting your Renewal FAFSA, have your FSA ID username and password available.  An individual can retrieve or sign up for a FSA ID at https://studentaid.gov/fsa-id/sign-in/landing.
     
  • Renew Your FAFSA Online:  File online at https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa.  
    • Make sure your social security number and date of birth are accurate. 
    • Do not enter your RIN on the FAFSA.
    • You will be notified when your FAFSA Submissions Summary is processed and ready to view.
    • Review your FAFSA Submissions Summary and correct any data reporting errors you may have made.
    • Check your Rensselaer SIS financial aid account to see if additional documents are needed.
       
  • Our FAFSA School Codes:
    • Troy Campus, Undergraduate or Graduate Programs = 002803.
       
  • Graduate Students, Coterminal Degrees:  Please review the Coterminal program awarding guide for detailed information about the Coterminal Degree financial aid application process.
     
  • NY State Residents:  If you are a New York State resident undergraduate student seeking NY Scholarships or TAP (Tuition Assistance Program) funding you must file the FAFSA and also complete a NYS TAP application each year.  If you have never applied for TAP, you can do so at the same time you file your FAFSA application.  
    • The Arch Summer 2024 students must request Summer 2024 TAP funding on their 2024-25 TAP application.  The Arch students should request funding for the two terms they are planning to be on campus enrolled in full-time courses.  If their pattern changes, they must update their TAP application.
    • Further information may be found at http://www.hesc.ny.gov
    • Our TAP School Code = 0635.
       
  • Summer Aid, Not The Arch:  If you are not in The Arch program but plan to use aid toward Summer 2024 classes, you must also file our Undergraduate Summer 2024 Financial Aid Application.  This form is NOT required if you are taking summer classes as part of The Arch program.
     
  • Changed Family Circumstances:  You can notify us of any unusual family circumstances by completing our 2024-2025 Change of Family Circumstance Form.