The FAFSA is generally released on October 1 for the following fall and spring semesters. For the 2024-2025 academic year, the release date is delayed until at least December. Students should complete the FAFSA at https://fafsa.gov/. Be advised that it takes about 5 business days for the FAFSA to be processed by the federal government and then received by Buffalo State. Additionally, if the FAFSA was not completed correctly and is not valid, the student must correct the issue(s) and resubmit within the deadlines.
| Aid Program | Deadline |
| Federal Pell Grant | The FAFSA must be received before the student ceases enrollment in the academic year or the academic year ends, whichever happens first. |
| Federal SEOG Grant | Same as the Pell Grant. Note that SEOG funds are limited and students should submit the FAFSA by March 1 for the upcoming fall and spring semesters for consideration. Students must be eligible for the maximum Pell Grant to receive SEOG. |
| Federal Direct Subsidized / Unsubsidized Loans | Same as the Pell Grant. Additionally, students must be currently enrolled in at least 6 credit hours of required coursework to receive a loan. |
| Federal Parent or Grad PLUS Loan | Same as Direct Subsidized/Unsubsidized Loans. |
| Federal Work Study | Students are never permitted to work without a FAFSA on file. Note that work-study funds are limited and students should submit the FAFSA by March 1 for the upcoming fall and spring semesters. |
The TAP application is available to complete beginning October 1 for the following fall and spring semesters. While students are encouraged to file early, they have until June 30th concluding the academic year to do so.
Students have two opportunities to apply for the New York State Excelsior Scholarship each academic year. A student that applies and is approved for an award in fall does not need to apply again in spring. If a student is denied for an award in fall, they may re-apply in spring if they believe they are now eligible.
Students that file the FAFSA and are selected for federal verification have additional deadlines by which they must adhere.
| Aid Program | Deadline |
| Federal Pell Grant | Verification must be completed within 120 days of the student’s last date of enrollment in the academic year or September 1 directly following the end of the academic year, whichever happens first. Students that complete verification after a semester ends can only receive Pell Grant funds for "completed" coursework. |
| Federal SEOG Grant | The verification process must be completed before the student ceases attendance in the academic year. Additionally, the student must also be eligible for the maximum Pell Grant. |
| Federal Direct Subsidized / Unsubsidized Loans |
Verification must be completed by the earlier of:
|
| Federal Parent or Grad PLUS Loan | Same as Direct Subsidized/Unsubsidized Loans. |
| Federal Work Study | Students are not permitted to work if they have not complied with verification. |
| Say Yes | Students must adhere to the deadlines published by Say Yes to receive their awards. If a student fails to meet the fall semester deadline to complete verification, they typically forfeit their fall award but may receive it in spring if completed by the spring deadline. Deadlines for Say Yes are typically much earlier than federal deadlines. Refer to the Say Yes website for more information. |
All students admitted to college must submit proof they graduated from high school. Final high school transcripts must be submitted to the Admissions Office.
| Aid Program | Deadline |
| Federal Pell Grant | Final high school transcript must be received by the last day of the semester or before the student ceases enrollment in the semester, whichever happens first. If a student submits the high school transcript after completing the fall semester, they no longer qualify for a Pell grant in fall. They may, however, receive the Pell grant in spring |
| Federal SEOG Grant | Same as the Pell Grant. Students must be eligible for the maximum Pell Grant to receive SEOG. |
| Federal Direct Subsidized / Unsubsidized Loans | The final high school transcript must be received before the student stops attending on a half-time (6.0 credits) basis in the academic year. |
| Federal Parent or Grad PLUS Loan | Same as Federal Direct Subsidized/Unsubsidized Loans. |
| Federal Work Study | Students are not permitted to work if they have not submitted their final high school transcript. |
| NYS Excelsior Scholarships | Same as the Pell Grant. |
| NYS TAP and all other NYS awards | Same as the Pell Grant. |
| Aid Program | Deadline |
| Federal Pell Grant | Paperwork that shows the student cleared the loan issue must be received by the Financial Aid Office by the last day of the semester or before the student ceases enrollment, whichever happens first. If a student submits the paperwork after a semester ends, they may not receive a Pell Grant retroactively for the prior semester. They may receive the Pell Grant for future semester(s). |
| Federal SEOG Grant | Same as the Pell Grant. Additionally, students must be eligible for the maximum Pell Grant. |
| Federal Direct Subsidized / Unsubsidized Loans | Paperwork that shows the issue is resolved must be received by the Financial Aid Office before the student stops attending on a half-time (6.0 credits) basis in the academic year. |
| Federal Parent or Grad PLUS Loan | Same as Direct Subsidized/Unsubsidized Loans |
| Federal Work Study | Students are not permitted to work until paperwork is received that clears the loan issue(s). |
| Aid Program | Deadline |
| Federal Pell Grant | Paperwork that shows the student cleared the citizenship, selective service, or SSN issue must be submitted to the office by the last day of enrollment within the academic year. If paperwork is received after a semester ends but still within the academic year (and the student remains enrolled), the Pell Grant is based upon completed credit hours for the prior term. |
| Federal SEOG Grant | Same as the Pell Grant. Additionally, students must be eligible for the maximum Pell Grant. |
| Federal Direct Subsidized / Unsubsidized Loans | Same as the Pell Grant. Additionally, the student must be enrolled in at least six credit hours of required coursework at the time the eligibility issue is resolved to receive a loan. |
| Federal Parent or Grad PLUS Loan | Same as Direct Subsidized/Unsubsidized loans. |
| Federal Work Study | Students are not permitted to work until paperwork is received that clears the issue(s). |
To receive federal aid in any semester, students must be in good standing with Federal Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) rules. Any changes to a student's academic history or program of study that affect their SAP status must be processed before the last day of the semester or before the student ceases enrollment, whichever happens first, in order for the student to regain eligibility during that semester.
Federal Aid includes: Federal Pell Grant, SEOG Grant, TEACH Grant, Direct Loans, and Work-Study.
Below are examples of academic changes that could affect a student's SAP status.
Students must accept their loans before the last day of the semester or before they cease half-time enrollment, whichever happens first. Additionally, students must have completed Direct Loan entrance counseling and a master promissory note at https://studentaid.gov/.
