Financial Aid for Undocumented Students

Financial Aid for Undocumented Students

Financial Aid for Undocumented Students

The José Peralta New York State DREAM Act allows undocumented and other students access to New York State‐administered grants and scholarships that support their higher education costs.
If you attended or graduated from an NYS high school, attended an approved NYS high school equivalency program, or received an NYS equivalency diploma, you may be eligible for state financial aid.
The DREAM Act opens the doors of higher education and provides access to the Excelsior Scholarship, the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP), and other state-administered scholarships.
Eligibility
A student seeking New York State financial aid, including TAP, for the first time, must pass a federally approved ATB test identified by the Board of Regents if the student does not possess a U.S. high school diploma or its recognized equivalent.
If you fit one of the descriptions below, you may be eligible for one or more NYS student financial aid awards under the DREAM Act:
  1. Your permanent home is in NYS and you are or have ONE of the following:
    1. U-Visa
    2. T-Visa
    3. Temporary protected status, pursuant to the Federal Immigration Act of 1990
    4. Without lawful immigration status (including those with DACA status)
    5. AND you meet ONE of the following criteria:
      1. You attended a NYS high school for 2 or more years, graduated from a NYS high school, and enroll or enrolled for undergraduate study at a NYS college within 5 years of receiving your NYS high school diploma OR
      2. You attended a NYS high school for 2 or more years, graduated from a NYS high school, and enroll or enrolled for graduate study at a NYS college within 10 years of receiving your NYS high school diploma OR
      3. You received a NYS high school equivalency diploma, and enroll or enrolled for undergraduate study at a NYS college within 5 years of receiving your NYS high school equivalency diploma OR
      4. You received a NYS high school equivalency diploma, and enroll or enrolled for graduate study at a NYS college within 10 years of receiving your NYS high school equivalency diploma OR
      5. You are or will be charged the NYS resident in-state tuition rate at a SUNY or CUNY college for a reason other than residency.
         
To learn more and apply, please visit www.hesc.ny.gov/dream/
 

Excelsior Scholarship Under the New York State Dream Act

If you were granted the Excelsior Scholarship under the NYS Dream Act, your award needs to be packaged manually. This means the Financial Aid office needs to manually apply your scholarship to CunyFirst. The award will NOT post if you do not contact them. 

You can contact the following people for your award to be applied:

Denise Vivar at dvivar@jjay.cuny.edu
Clifton Moy, Excelsior Scholarship Coordinator at clmoy@jjay.cuny.edu

In your email please make sure you include the following: 

  • Copy of NYS Dream Act Application
  • Copy of signed Excelsior Contract