More than 163,000 New York students completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) in April as part of Financial Aid Awareness Month, state officials announced Wednesday.
The New York State Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC) said the annual “You Belong” campaign helped expand access to financial aid resources and supported students and families navigating the college application process.
Statewide efforts in April also resulted in 35,000 applications to the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP), according to HESC.
“Financial Aid Awareness Month reflects an unwavering commitment of the HESC team to helping students and families navigate the financial aid process,” said Acting HESC President Doris B. González. “By offering hands-on support, innovative resources, and targeted training, we are removing obstacles and opening doors to higher education.”
Officials said more than 1 million FAFSA submissions have already been completed for the 2026-27 academic year, while TAP applications for the same year have reached 241,841. For the 2025-26 academic year, FAFSA submissions total 1.42 million and TAP applications have reached 482,470.
HESC said the state now ranks sixth nationally for FAFSA completion.
As part of the campaign, 534 educators, counselors and community leaders were trained through the agency’s FAFSA Ready program, while about 3,400 students and families received one-on-one assistance at statewide events.
The agency also highlighted new digital tools launched in April, including a FAFSA completion dashboard and a Financial Aid Navigator designed to help students identify scholarships, grants and loan forgiveness programs.
The FAFSA dashboard has received more than 13,000 visits since its launch, HESC said.
Financial Aid Awareness Month is coordinated by HESC in partnership with SUNY, CUNY, the State Education Department, and other higher education organizations.
State officials said FAFSA and TAP applications remain open for students through June 30, 2026, for the 2025-26 academic year, and June 30, 2027, for the 2026-27 academic year.
HESC is New York’s student financial aid agency, overseeing more than two dozen grant, scholarship and loan forgiveness programs.
