Adult Grants

Federal Grants

Federal Pell Grant Program

The Federal Pell Grant program is a federal aid program that provides financial assistance to students otherwise unable to afford an undergraduate education. Pell Grants provide a foundation of Financial Aid to which other aid may be added.

The government currently states that in order to qualify for a Federal Pell Grant the citizen or eligible non-citizen must be either enrolled or accepted for enrollment at an accredited college. To find out if you qualify for Pell you must file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, (FAFSA).

Federal Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education Grant  (TEACH)

A Federal TEACH Grant provides up to $3,964.40 per year in grants for students who complete the FAFSA and meet the eligibility requirements for federal student aid.  Students must also intend to teach in a full-time, high need subject area for a minimum of four years at schools that serve students from low-income students and complete those four years of teaching within eight years of completing the program. 
The conditions for receiving a TEACH Grant are as follows:

1. You must complete the FASFA, although you do not have to demonstrate financial need.
2. Graduation from high school with a 3.25 GPA or higher or scoring above the 75th percentile on a college admission test.
3. Majoring in a program of study designated as a high-need subject area (Bilingual Education, Foreign Language, Mathematics, Reading Specialist, Science, or Special Education). For more information, please visit: 
   www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/pol/tsa.doc

Please note that if you are unable to complete this teaching obligation within eight years, the grant will be converted to a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan with interest accruing from the date the grant funds were first disbursed.

Please feel free to contact the Office of Student Financial Services at 845-575-3230 for more information regarding this program.

• General Information/Requirements
• TEACH Grant Fact Sheet 

State Grants

Tuition Assistance Program (TAP)
New York State Residents Only
If you are a New York State resident (for at least the past 12 months) you may be eligible for this state grant. You must be a matriculated full-time student (12 credits or more). The TAP award must be certified by the TAP certifying officer located in the Office of the Registrar. There is a separate application that must be completed online, each year. 
TAP eligibility requirements

NY State Scholarships
Scholarships are "free money" awarded based on various factors.  Some may require certain conditions to be met or have a service component.

Aid For Part-Time Study Program (APTS)
New York State Residents Only
If you are a New York State resident (for at least the past 12 months) you may be eligible for this state grant. You must be matriculated and take at least 3 credits and no more than 11 credits per semester.

Award amounts range from $250 to $1000 per semester. The maximum New York state limit is $2000 for the fall and spring semesters. Awards are determined by the Office of Student Financial Services.

Students can download the APTS application and return the completed application along with a copy of their NYS tax return (a parent return if dependent) to the Office of Student Financial Services for processing. Application deadlines for the Fall semester are September 15th and Spring semester is January 30th. A student must apply every year.

VSAC Incentive Grants
Vermont Residents Only
Any Vermont student who plans to attend college full-time, and doesn't already have a bachelor's degree, is eligible to apply for a Vermont Incentive grant. Vermont residents attending out-of-state institutions are requested to visit the website for application criteria.