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Student Eligibility

How is my eligibility determined?

Students and families must show financial need to receive most kinds of financial aid. Financial need is the difference between what it costs for you to go to school, called the cost of attendance, and the part of these expenses you and your family will be reasonably expected to pay, called the Expected Family Contribution (EFC).

Cost of attendance budgets are standard amounts set up by CUNY and assigned to all students who apply for financial aid. Student budgets include direct school costs like tuition, fees, books, supplies, and transportation. They also include indirect costs like rent, food, and personal expenses.

The only part of the cost of attendance that you pay directly to the college is tuition and fees. The other costs are covered from a combination of financial aid and your family's financial resources. Check the College Expenses page for the cost of attendance budgets for the current school year.

When your FAFSA is processed, you will see an Expected Family Contribution (or EFC) number on your application results.  The EFC is based on the information about you and your family provided on your application. The formula that is used for the EFC takes into account that only some of your family income and resources will be available to pay for school.  Students with lower EFCs will have a greater financial need than those with higher EFCs. Your EFC determines your Pell Eligibility; refer to the EFC Chart.

Your applications will ask certain questions to determine whether you are a dependent student who must report your parents' income along with your own, or an independent student who will only have to report your own (and your spouse's) income and resources.

To get a quick estimate of your EFC without actually filing a FAFSA, use this quick and easy EFC Calculator:

The primary responsibility of paying for school rests with you and your family, but KCC will try to help you meet your cost of education. We encourage you to apply for financial aid each year, even if you think that you might not be eligible. Most students discover that there is at least one aid program they can benefit from.