Policy for Undergraduate Financial Aid Applicants
The New York State Education Department regulations regarding eligibility to receive Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) and all other New York State Scholarships require that students be in good academic standing. To maintain good academic standing a student receiving a general or academic performance award must: (1) pursue the program of study in which he or she is enrolled, and (2) make satisfactory academic progress toward the completion of his or her program's requirements.
Policy Statement
Cornell University, as a participant in federal loan programs, is required to have a code of conduct applicable to the institution’s officers, employees, and agents. The code of conduct requirements are set forth in the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) signed into law on August 14, 2008. The Code of Conduct Related to Student Loan Activities is a requirement specific to certain transactions and activities related to financial aid matters.
To be eligible for financial aid, students must meet minimum enrollment requirements. A change of enrollment status at any point during a term could result in a revision of the financial aid award. As the policies vary from college to college, students need to work closely with their college when considering taking a leave of absence or withdrawing from the university.
Verification is a process used to confirm the information you reported to the U.S. Department of Education on your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. In most cases, the U.S. Department of Education requests verification—Cornell facilitates the process and will request documentation required by federal student aid program rules. If any discrepancies or inconsistencies are noted, Cornell will update your FAFSA to ensure your eligibility for federal student aid funds has been calculated accurately.
The information and table below is provided through 20 U.S. Code § 1091.Student eligibility.
(r) Suspension of Eligibility For Drug-Related Offenses
(1) In General
Federal regulations require Cornell University to establish, publish, and apply reasonable standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) for financial aid eligibility. The purpose of measuring and enforcing these standards is to ensure financial aid recipients make progress toward graduation.
Cornell University meets the full demonstrated financial need for all admitted students who are United States citizens and eligible non-citizens. Eligible non-citizens include permanent residents, refugees and asylees, and undocumented students.
According to federal legislation, repeat classes may only count towards financial aid eligibility if (a) the course was previously failed or (b) the course was previously passed only once. This means a student who fails a class may repeat a class and have it count as credit toward the determination of enrollment status for financial aid purposes, but a student who has already passed a class may only repeat the class once more (i.e., to receive a better grade) and have these credits count toward financial aid eligibility.
The amount of financial assistance a family needs each year is determined by the following formula:
Financial Aid, Tailored to Your Family’s Need
Our founding principles—“to do the greatest good” and “… any person … any study”—underpin Cornell University’s commitments to undergraduate financial aid. Cornell students come from culturally, geographically, and socio-economically diverse backgrounds and our financial aid programs are designed to ensure Cornell is accessible to all at an affordable cost.