Prospective Undergraduate Student – Financial Aid (2024)

Apply for admission to The University at Buffalo. Financial aid will only be offered to students who have been admitted.

If you omitted your social security number (SSN) from your admissions application, your financial aid package may be delayed. In order for our office to identify you as an applicant we must match your financial aid record to your admissions record, which requires your SSN.

To add or correct your SSN, submit the W-9S form (PDF).

The FAFSA is available beginning on October 1 of the calendar prior to the start of the academic year in which you will be enrolled and must be completed before your last day of enrollment in that academic year.

File your FAFSA as early as possible to be considered for campus-based financial aid such as Federal Work-Study, Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG) and Health Profession loans.

The Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) is a grant for eligible New York State residents. After completing the FAFSA, NYS residents link to the online TAP application from the FAFSA Confirmation Page.

Visit our Financial Aid Process and Types of Aid information pages for details about various types of financial aid including application steps, eligibility requirements and important deadlines.

Undergraduate Admissions awards freshman merit scholarships which do not require a scholarship application but do require that your UB application materials are complete by a published deadline. Presidential Scholarships, UB athletic scholarships and most other UB scholarships require separate applications.

At this time, all first year/freshman merit scholarship funds have been allocated by the Office of Admissions. However, as additional funds become available, appeals will be considered with the goal of a response by May 17, 2023. Please also note, with or without a response on your appeal, that our enrollment/tuition deposit deadline is May 1, 2023.

The appeal can be found at: https://admissions.buffalo.edu/costs/scholarships.php. Click on ‘Fall 2023 First Year/Freshman Scholarship Appeal Form (Log-in Required)’ along the left-hand side of the website. The deadline to submit an appeal isApril 24, 2023.
We also encourage you to look for scholarship opportunities in UB’s Scholarship Portal. Once accepted, a student can complete a general application using their UBIT username and password that will be sent by the Office of Admissions. All new incoming students for Summer or Fall should complete the General Application starting March 1^st for any available recruitment scholarships. All students, including new incoming students, should complete the General Application for the upcoming aid year starting July 15 for all other available scholarship opportunities for the upcoming aid year. and from outside organizations throughout your academic career. Please visit https://financialaid.buffalo.edu/aid/scholarships for additional scholarship information.

UB will receive the results of your FAFSA approximately 3 days after you submit it online. If additional information or corrections to your FAFSA are needed, we will notify you by adding the requirement to your To Do List in HUB Student Center. We will also send you a Missing Information Notification via email to let you know that additional action is needed.

Depending on the information requested, one or more of your financial aid awards may be held until the requirement is satisfied.

Check your To Do List often as items may be added throughout the year!

Over 60% of UB students receive at least one type of financial aid to help cover educational expenses.

SUNY Financial Aid Plan notifications will be mailed to your permanent address when your financial aid package has been determined. The letter provides information regarding your estimated expenses and financial aid you may be eligible for, as well as important information about UB. For help in understanding your Plan, please review this document: Understanding Your SUNY Smart Track Financial Aid Plan

Financial aid amounts are based on your academic career, cost of attendance and assumed enrollment. You can learn more about the different categories of financial aid on our Types of Aid webpage.

You can view your financial aid package in HUB by clicking on the Financial Aid / Scholarships tile on your homepage.

Loans and Work-Study are considered optional aid and must be accepted or declined.

The amounts listed represent the maximum amount you could be eligible for, assuming you meet all eligibility requirements and enroll in at least 12 credit hours each term. If you do not need to borrow the maximum Federal Direct Loan offered, you have the option to revise the loan amount during the acceptance process.

If you decline or reduce your loan(s) and then determine that you need to borrow additional funds later in the year, you can complete theFinancial Aid Revision Request form and request up to your maximum eligibility.

Federal Student Aid

• How to Fill Out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Form
• How to Create an Account and Username (FSA ID) for Studentaid.gov
• FAFSA: Determining your Dependency Status
• After the FAFSA: What Happens Next
• Types of Federal Student Aid

HESC

• Introduction to NYS Grants and Scholarships
• Excelsior Scholarship – What to know!
• Excelsior Scholarship – Now What?