Federal Financial Aid Programs

Federal Pell Grants are awarded only to undergraduate students who display financial need and have not earned a bachelor’s, graduate, or professional degree. A Federal Pell Grant is money awarded by the federal government that can be used to pay your tuition, or, if your tuition is covered by other means, help you buy your books and supplies, or pay your transportation costs.  To receive a Pell grant, you must meet the eligibility requirements for federal student aid.

In addition, a student must have remaining Pell eligibility. The amount of Federal Pell Grant funds a student may receive is limited by federal law to be the equivalent of six years of Pell Grant funding; this means six (6) full-time years or twelve (12) full-time semesters of Pell. This is known as Pell Lifetime Eligibility Usage or LEU. To learn what the Federal Pell Grant limits are and how remaining Pell eligibility is calculated, visit the Common FA Policies section.

Enrollment Status & Pell Eligibility:

The amount of your federal Pell grant is fractionally pro-rated based on your enrollment status each semester. You may qualify for Pell even if you are not enrolled as a full-time student.  Determine your eligible enrollment status by counting the number of credits or equated credits for which you have been charged tuition.

• Full-time: enrolled for 12 or more credits or equated credits equals 100% of a semester’s scheduled Pell award.
• Three-Quarter Time: enrolled for at least 9, but fewer than 12 credits or equated credits equals 75% of a semester’s scheduled Pell award.
• Half-time: enrolled for at least 6, but fewer than 9 credits or equated credits equals 50% of a semester’s scheduled Pell award.
• Less than half-time: enrolled for at least 1, but fewer than 6 credits or equated credits equals 25% of a semester’s scheduled Pell award.

Note: there is a 30-credit hour limit on payment for remedial/developmental non-ESL courses. If you have exceeded the 30-credit hour limit on payment for remedial/developmental courses, these courses will be excluded from your semester enrollment for calculating your federal aid award amount for that term.

To qualify for a federal Pell grant award payment, you must begin attendance in your classes. The Office of Financial Aid uses verification of enrollment information reported by your professors to determine whether or not you have actually begun attending your courses. If your professor reports you never attended a class (by assigning a WN grade for the course) for which you have received a financial aid refund, you will be required to return those funds. Also, if you drop your course(s) any time prior to the Financial Aid Certification date, you may be required to return the financial aid refund you received.

A Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) is an award given to undergraduate students who show exceptional financial need.  To receive FSEOG, you must meet the eligibility requirements for federal student aid. In addition, you must also be eligible to receive a Federal Pell Grant in order to receive FSEOG. That means that if you have reached your 12 full-time semester lifetime eligibility limit for receipt of Pell, you may not receive any more FSEOG awards. Apply for FSEOG by filling out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).  Please note that CUNY receives a fixed amount of money each academic year to award FSEOG. Once this money is awarded, there are no more funds for that academic year. FSEOG is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. You must file your FAFSA early to be considered for FSEOG.

Guttman Community College participates in the Federal Work-Study Program. This program enables qualified students to have part-time employment while pursuing a degree.

Guttman Community College participates in the Federal Work-Study (FWS) Program. This program enables qualified students to have part-time employment while pursuing a college degree.

What are the benefits of the Federal Work-Study Program?

There are a number of benefits associated with FWS participation. Some of the benefits are:

• If you have never had a job, the FWS program can give you your first exposure to the work place. FWS employers are often willing to give you on-the-job training.
• You can gain valuable job experience, especially if you find positions related directly to your program of study or career choice.
• You may use your FWS job as an employment reference when seeking regular employment after graduation.
• A FWS position can sometimes lead to a permanent job with the agency that hired you as a FWS student.

Awarding Process

Federal Work-Study is offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Eligibility for this program is based on the financial status of the student and/or his or her family. Interested students who do not receive a Federal Work-Study in their financial aid offer may add their name to the waitlist (pending the availability of additional funding).

Federal Work-Study Eligibility Requirements

• Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and meet the eligibility criteria.
• Provide additional documents according to CUNYfirst “To-Do List” if required.
• Answer “Yes” to the question “Are you interested in being considered for work-study?” on the FAFSA application.
• Qualify for federal financial aid and have remaining financial need demonstrated through the FAFSA.
• Minimum half-time enrollment (6 credits) in the semester(s) you wish to work.
• Meet Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP).

Federal Work-Study Offer Notification

You can view your FWS offer by logging into your CUNYfirst account. If you received Federal Work-Study in your financial aid package you must accept the offer in order to participate in the program. Accepting your FWS offer notifies the Office of Financial Aid that you are interested in participating in the program.

Federal Work-Study Waitlist

Federal Work-Study offers are packaged on a first-come, first-served basis; therefore, funding is limited. However, the Office of Financial Aid maintains a waitlist for interested students should additional funding become available. The Office of Financial Aid will notify you via your Guttman email if you have been approved for a FWS offer through the waitlist. To access the waitlist, click here.

Types of Federal Work-Study Placement

You must be placed in a job position in order to earn your Federal Work-Study funds. Guttman Community College offers three (3) types of placement opportunities.

On-Campus

Placement is made on-campus at either an academic department or administrative office at Guttman.

Off-Campus

Organizations off-campus have a contract with CUNY to hire FWS students. The organizations are within the five boroughs, and the pay rate varies depending on the position.

Public Service Corps

Public Service Corps (PSC) is a paid internship that utilizes your Federal Work-Study offer. Submit a PSC application and resume to the Federal Work-Study Coordinator. The starting pay rate varies. PSC has a separate contract; students must submit all tax forms directly to PSC, not the FWS coordinator at Guttman.

Mandatory Federal Work-Study Placement Orientation

After you have accepted your FWS offer, you will be required to attend a mandatory FWS Placement Orientation. At the Orientation you will:

• Learn more about FWS and the benefits of participating in the program
• Learn how to search and apply for FWS jobs directly on the Grizzly Jobs and Internship Portal
• Learn what to do when you have been hired and the on-boarding process to start working. (See below for information regarding the on-boarding process).
• Hear from the Center for Career Preparation and Partnership (CCPP) about the services they offer such as:
  • Workshops for resume and interview preparation
  • Virtual Etiquette Bootcamp Series which is comprised of three sessions:
    • Professional Email Etiquette – presenting your best self, email etiquette
    • Virtual Meetings – how to use Zoom, control settings, best practices
    • Virtual Interviewing – Interviewing tips and incorporating Virtual etiquette dos and don’ts.

On-boarding Information

Once you have been hired either on-campus or off-campus you will need to review the on-boarding information below and fill out the appropriate forms.

NOTE: All on-boarding for Public Service Corps is processed through PSC.

You can securely upload the required forms listed below using the “Document Upload” feature available in CUNYfirst Student Self-Service.

W4 Form (Employee Withholding)

Instructions for filling out the W4 (Employee Withholding) Form:

If you would like to have taxes withheld, indicate on Line 5 the number of allowances you are claiming. If you have no dependents, and no spouse, you can indicate a 0 or a 1.

If you do not want to have taxes withheld, skip Line 5 of the form, and write “Exempt” on Line 7.

I-9 Form (Employee Eligibility Verification)

Instructions for filling out the I-9 (Employee Eligibility Verification) Form:

You must submit a signed I-9 Form, along with acceptable documentation. You are required to submit one item from List A, or a combination of items from B and C. All documents must be current (unexpired).

IT-2104 or IT-2104-E (New York State Forms)

Instructions for filling out New York State Forms (IT-2104 or IT-2104-E):

New York State Form IT-2104 is for students who want to withhold New York State taxes. You must indicate the number of allowances on the form you wish to withhold.

New York State Form IT-2104-E is for students who do not want to withhold New York State taxes. This form should only be filled out if you are either (a) under the age of 18, (b) over the age of 65, or (c) a full-time (12 credit) student under the age of 25.

FERPA Agreement

As a student-employee at Guttman Community College, you may be granted access to confidential and private records of students, faculty, staff, and applicants for admission or employment. These records are protected from disclosure to third parties under CUNY as well as federal and state privacy laws. Student records are protected by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and must be treated as confidential. Therefore, it is an onboarding requirement to sign/date the FERPA Agreement.

Labor Pay Notice

The Labor Pay Notice is to be completed by the Office of Financial Aid and signed by the student. This form indicates the student’s pay rate and is required by New York State.

After You Start Working

Submitting Your Timesheet

Timesheets are submitted by FWS students to their supervisors and the Office of Financial Aid through the Online Timesheet on a biweekly basis. You will learn about timesheet submission at the Mandatory FWS Orientation.

When Will I Be Paid?

FWS students are paid biweekly, according to the dates on the payroll calendar. Timesheets submitted late will be retroactively processed and payment issued on the next payroll cycle.

How Will I Be Paid?

Students can receive their payment in one of two ways:

• Check: A paper check mailed to your address on file for the respective cycle date listed on the payroll calendar.
• Direct Deposit: FWS earnings are transferred electronically into your personal checking or savings account on the date indicated on the payroll calendar. Visit the Federal Work-Study Payments page on the CUNY website for more information regarding the direct deposit option.

What You Should Know:

• The average federal work-study offer ranges from $500 to $2000 per semester depending on the student’s financial need and funding availability.
• The current pay rate is $15.00 – $17.00 an hour.
• You may only be paid for hours actually worked on a bi-weekly basis.
• Students are permitted to work only one (1) position per semester.
• You and your supervisor are responsible for making sure you do not exceed your budgeted FWS offer amount.
• Once you have earned your maximum FWS offer, you must stop working since you cannot exceed your allocated FWS offer amount.
• You may not work past the last day of the semester or your last date of attendance.
• You must remain enrolled in at least 6 credits each semester in order to continue participating in the FWS program.
• Your work period is not to exceed 20 hours per week while classes are in session.
• You are required to take a minimum unpaid work break of 30 minutes after working 5 consecutive hours.
• You may not work during your scheduled class time.
• If you are unable to earn your entire FWS offer before the end of the academic year, the unearned portion of your offer will not be paid to you.
• FWS earnings are not included in the calculation of your eligibility for financial aid.

FWS Placement Supervisor Corner

Is your department interested in hiring a Federal Work-Study student(s)?

Review the FWS Supervisor Guide. The guide provides an overview of the program and your responsibilities as a supervisor.

The first step to hiring a Federal Work-Study student(s) is to complete and sign an FWS Student Request Form. This form can be given to the FWS Coordinator in person or sent via email to Jessica.portilla@guttman.cuny.edu. You can also locate this form in the N-drive in the Federal Work-Study folder.  Please note – You must indicate an alternate supervisor on the form and their signature is required for approval.

You must complete a separate form for each job title (office assistant, tutor, lab assistant, etc.) The FWS Student Request Form serves as a Job Description and is given to students at the Mandatory FWS Student Placement Orientation. It provides students with the information they need to determine whether they qualify for the job and whether the job is related to their educational or career objectives. It also establishes a record to which all parties can refer.

New requests must be submitted each academic year.

Once your request has been approved, you will be required to submit a signed copy of the FWS Supervisor Guide.

Below you will find pertinent information related to your role as an FWS Supervisor.

FWS Student Request Form

FWS Supervisor Guide

2022-2023 Payroll Calendar

If you have any questions, contact the Federal Work-Study Coordinator:

Jessica Portilla, MSEd
Financial Aid Specialist,
Federal Work-Study Coordinator
Guttman Community College
50 West 40th Street
New York, NY  10018
Tel:  646-313-8839
Email: jportilla@guttman.cuny.edu

The Federal Direct Loan Program provides federally insured, low-interest, long-term loans to you or your parents to help you cover the costs of attending college. The federal government is your lender, not a bank or other lending institution. The school determines your eligibility, and calculates the loan amount.  Once the school disburses the loan, it is managed and collected by the U.S. Department of Education. Your direct loan is money that is borrowed and must be repaid with interest after you leave school.

Types of Federal Direct Loans

Federal Direct Subsidized Loan — Eligibility for this loan is based on the information you provided on your FAFSA. The federal government pays the interest on the loan while you are in school and during other deferment periods.

Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan — Allows you to borrow money in addition to any subsidized loan amounts for which you may be eligible. You will be charged interest from the time an unsubsidized loan is disbursed until you pay the loan in full.

Federal Direct PLUS Loan — Allows the parents of dependent students to borrow up to the cost of attendance at Guttman. The federal government charges your parents interest from the date of the first disbursement until the loan is paid in full.

Please refer to the chart below to determine the maximum annual and aggregate amounts you may borrow.

Maximum Annual & Aggregate Loan Amounts

Using your FSA ID, you may access your borrowing history from the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) and monitor how close you may be approaching your undergraduate aggregate maximum. You can also obtain complete information about your Direct Loan account and make online payments at StudentLoans.gov.

Note: If you are receiving your first Federal Direct Loan on or after July 1, 2013, or have no outstanding balance on a loan that you have repaid, you can receive Subsidized Loans for a period not to exceed 150% of the length of your educational program. If you must continue to borrow after exceeding the 150% limit in order to continue your program, you will only be eligible for Unsubsidized Loans. In addition, you will begin to be charged interest on the Subsidized Loans you have already borrowed, even though you are still enrolled in classes.

How do I apply for a direct loan?

You must meet the eligibility requirements for federal student aid to be considered for a Direct Loan.  Steps to applying for a Direct Loan:

1. Complete a FAFSA for the applicable award year
2. Resolve all federal student aid related checklists listed on your CUNYfirst To Do List
3. Complete a Master Promissory Note (MPN)
4. Complete Entrance Counseling (if you are a first-time borrower)
5. Be enrolled for at least 6 credits or equated credits
6. Complete and submit the Direct Loan request from CUNYfirst:
   • Step # 1: Login to CUNYfirst at https://home.cunyfirst.cuny.edu
   • Step # 2: Select the Student Center link from the left menu.
   • Step # 3: In the Finances section, click the Direct Loan Processing Form link.
   • Step # 4: The instructions to the Direct Loan Request form will appear. You must acknowledge that you have read the instructions by selecting the checkbox at the bottom of the page and click “Agree”.
   • Step # 5: The Select Aid Year to View page will appear, you may see listings for multiple aid years and multiple colleges. Click the link for “Guttman CC” and the applicable aid year; complete and submit the form.

What happens after I have submitted my loan request?

1. Your request will be reviewed and processed within 10-14 business days.
2. Respond to any additional request of information from the Direct Loan Coordinator, Racquel Valencia or the Office of Financial Aid.
3. You must establish and maintain 6 credits or equated credits of enrollment each semester to be eligible to receive a disbursement of Direct Loan funds.
4. Your Direct Loan funds will be disbursed to your CUNYfirst account. Only after all charges on your account are satisfied will a Direct Loan refund be issued to you directly.
5. If eligible, your refund will be either sent to your mailing address on CUNYfirst in the form of a paper check, or deposited into your bank account if you have signed up for Direct Deposit.

For additional details regarding submitting a Direct Loan Request form, contact the Direct Loan Coordinator Racquel Valencia at Racquel.valencia@guttman.cuny.edu or email financial.aid@guttman.cuny.edu.

For information regarding COVID-19 relief for federal student loans, visit https://studentaid.gov/announcements-events/covid-19.

Disbursement

Once your loan request has been submitted to the U.S. Department of Education, you will receive a Loan Disclosure Statement that summarizes the type of loan you applied for, the approved loan amounts, and the estimated dates of disbursement.

If you are a first-time Direct Loan borrower at Guttman, you must complete and entrance counseling before any loan funds can be disbursed.  If you have not previously received a Direct Loan, the Federal Government requires you to complete entrance counseling to ensure that you understand the responsibilities and obligations you are assuming.

Your electronic Master Promissory Note (e-MPN) must be acknowledged and approved by the Dept. of Education before any funds can be authorized for disbursement. In most cases, you are not required to sign a new MPN for future or additional loan requests. The MPN already on file will be used for subsequent year loan borrowing under the Federal Direct Loan program. You always have the option of resigning your MPN every time you borrow but it is not a requirement.

Note: If you previously signed an MPN that did not result in a disbursement of Direct Loan funds, you must resign your MPN for subsequent loan requests.

For a loan covering the full academic year, your two disbursements will be split between the fall and spring semesters.  For loans covering one semester, the second disbursement will usually occur just after the semester midterm. You will receive email notices from the college for each scheduled disbursement.

Note: At the time of disbursement, you must be enrolled for at least a half-time (6 credits) basis prior to the release of any loan funds.  Withdrawals may affect your eligibility.

Loan Repayment

A grace period is a period of time after you cease to be enrolled in college at least half-time but before you start repaying your student loan. You have a six-month grace period after you graduate, leave school, or drop below half-time before you begin repaying your loans. During the grace period, you do not have to make payments on the principal and you will not be charged any interest on the subsidized portion of your total loan amounts. However, you can start repaying your loans any time before your grace period ends without penalty.  For more information regarding repayment, you may visit the following websites:

studentloans.gov

studentaid.ed.gov