Am I getting a Refund Or Book Advance?

Students can view whether they have a Book Advance or Refund by going to their CUNYFirst Student Center . In the Financial Account section go to then select Account Activity . If there is a Book Advance or any other refund, it will show up as " Refund of Financial Aid." A ll refunds to students occur on Fridays. Note that s tudents will not receive a Book Advance if their overall aid for the [...]

How to submit a Special Circumstance

Professional Judgment refers to the discretion given to Financial Aid administrators to adjust certain FAFSA data elements in the event of a student’s unusual or special circumstance. These modifications are meant to provide a more accurate assessment of a student’s family’s ability to contribute to the cost of education. This is done on a case-by-case basis, utilizing proper documentation [...]

Why do I have a hold from Financial Aid?

Financial Aid holds prevent federal aid from being disbursed . These may typically be found within the Tasks and Holds section of your CUNYFirst Student Center. Two of the most common F inancial Aid h olds are: “Title IV Packaging Hold” (FT4) : For this hold you should click for further information, as it can be on your account for a variety of reasons. “Financial Aid Exit Interview” (FEX) : [...]

What is the status of my Federal Direct Loan?

It usually takes 2-3 weeks for a Federal Direct Loan to be processed. For a F ederal Direct Loan application to be processed, students will need to have already submitted a completed FAFSA application, have enroll ed in a minimum of 6 credits in a degree-granting program, resolve any outstanding items on their CUNYFirst To Do List , and meet Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). Once a loan is [...]

What is my Verification Status?

It can take 3-4 weeks to process a FAFSA Verification. During this processing time, you will continue to see the "Verify My FAFSA" requirement on your CUNYfirst To-Do List To make sure that you have successfully submitted a completed Verification form, you can log into your Student Forms by clicking on the Verify My FAFSA link on CUNYfirst. A Verification that has been successfully submitted [...]