Frequently Asked Questions

COVID-19

A bill has been passed suspending payments and interest accrual on Federal Direct Loans and Federal Family Education Loans (FFEL) held by the Department of Education have been until September 30, 2021. For more information on the COVID-19 emergency relief flexibilities, visit www.studentaid.gov.
The Department of Education has suspended the in-person submission or notarized document requirement. While the documents will still be required, they may instead be submitted in person or electronically, via email, through uploading photos, or through the school’s portal. Please review your SOLAR account for instructions.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was passed by Congress and signed into law to provide economic relief from COVID-19. One section of the CARES Act established the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) and sent money to schools to use for emergency financial aid grants to students for expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to the pandemic. These grants are not meant to offset loss of income, student or family job loss, or pay for other family expenses. The goal of these funds is to provide financial assistance to a wide range of students in a timely manner in order for them to maintain access to education.

Please visit the CARES Act webpage for additional information on how these funds were awarded. You can also view the CARES Act Historical Reporting Data.
The Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund II (HEERF II) is authorized by the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSA) Act of 2021 and includes resources that can go directly to eligible students to cover educational expenses or emergency costs due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In order to qualify for funding, students must have a valid 20-21 FAFSA on file, meet federal financial aid eligibility requirements, and demonstrate financial need.

Please visit the HEERF II webpage for additional information.

Financial Aid Basics

You must complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) at www.fafsa.ed.gov. The FAFSA becomes available for completion on October 1st of the prior year. The University filing deadline is February 15th. Stony Brook's federal school code is 002838.
The Expected Family Contribution (EFC) is the amount that the student's family is expected to contribute towards the Cost of Attendance. The U.S. Department of Education uses Federal Methodology (FM) to calculate your financial aid eligibility.
FM takes into account:
- Your family income (including student's if dependent)
- Taxes paid
- The # of family members
- The # of brothers and sisters in college
- Cash/savings/assets
The Cost of Attendance, also referred to as a financial aid budget, is an estimate of your educational expenses for the period of enrollment. This budget consists of two parts, direct costs and indirect costs.
- Direct Costs are paid to the University and includes tuition, university fees, an average room and meal costs (if living on campus).
- Indirect Costs are estimated additional educational expenses that you may incur during the enrollment period such as average loan fees, a living allowance for room and meals (if living off-campus), transportation costs, and an allowance for personal expenses. These costs are not paid directly to the University. Additional educational expense allowances (such as childcare expenses) may be added to the standard budget upon receipt of request and supporting documentation.
- Visit the Financial Aid Scholarship page
- Like us on Facebook – we post scholarship opportunities from external sources weekly
- Subsidized loan - Interest is paid for by the federal government while the student is enrolled in school. Students must qualify for need-based aid in order to be eligible for this loan.
- Unsubsidized loan - Student is responsible for interest during the life of the loan, even while enrolled in school. Student can elect to pay the interest while in school or they may choose to allow the interest to accrue (accumulate) and capitalize (add to the principal amount of the loan). Capitalizing the interest will increase the amount of loan when in repayment.
If you need information on loan consolidation, the best places to look for information are on the Federal Student Aid Web Site and studentloans.gov .

NYS Awards

Summer Financial Aid

Students who have submitted a valid FAFSA and who have also enrolled for summer classes will automatically be awarded a summer financial aid award package. Please see Summer Financial Aid for more details.

What Do I Need "To-Do" Now

We recommend that you wait until all of your term charges have been posted prior to applying for a Parent Plus Loan. This will allow you to make a more informed decision. Visit our parent web page for Parent Loan process.

Residency

Disbursement

1. Log into the Solar System.
2. Click Financial Aid, which can be found in the Student Financial Services section.
3. Click View & Accept Decline FinAid.
4. Click the appropriate Aid Year.
5. Scroll to the term in question.
6. Click View Scheduled Disbursements.
- Note: Scheduled disbursements display the earliest date an award can disburse. If the scheduled disbursement date has passed, and your aid has failed to disburse there is something unfinished that needs to be addressed. Please check to see if you have any To Do List items.
Listed below are the common reasons that would impact loan disbursement.
- You have not accepted the loan on the Solar System.
- You have not taken care of required To Do List items. Log into the Solar System to view your To Do List items.
- You have not signed your Master Promissory Note (MPN).
- You have not completed Entrance Counseling.
- You are not enrolled and attending at least 6 credits.
Loan funds are disbursed to the University in two disbursements, one for the fall and one for the spring semester at the beginning of each term. The scheduled disbursement date for all summer Federal Direct loans begins JULY 1. You must be enrolled at least half time (6 credits) in order for any loan disbursement to occur.
The Bursar's Office offers a convenient program for processing student refunds. Through direct deposit, they will deposit any student refund into the financial institution of your choice. Electronic deposits are secure, fast and convenient and you can avoid waiting to receive your refund check at the counter or in the mail. Enrollment is done via the SOLAR system . To enroll, log into SOLAR > Student Financial Services > Account Information/Payment > Direct Deposit > Add Account > Complete the Panel > Save. At any point during the term you may edit or delete this direct deposit refund option. Refund checks are printed weekly. Refunds through direct deposit are processed daily.

Federal Work Study

A great way to find a job is by attending the annual job expo. This event occurs the first or second Wednesday of the fall term. A complete listing of all on-campus jobs is available on the Career Center Website http://www.career.sunysb.edu/ .
Federal Work-Study is a form of need based aid. In order to be considered for this program you must file your FAFSA by the University priority filing date of February 15th. Since there is a limited amount of funding available, students are encouraged to file their FAFSA as early as possible. Be sure to indicate on your FAFSA that you are interested in Federal Work Study.

Special Circumstances

You may be eligible for a re-evaluation or an increase in your budget .
1. File your FAFSA.
2. Carefully review and follow the directions in the Dependency Status section of the FAFSA.
3. Continue to log into SOLAR to monitor your To Do List. We will let you know specifically what documentation you will need to submit.
- DO NOT submit documentation (including personal letters of explanation) until we ask for it.
Students with a status of deferred action are not eligible to receive federal or state aid. However, they will be considered for University merit based scholarships upon admission to Stony Brook. To read more about deferred action please visit our Visa and Immigration Services page.