Accelerated Course Aid

10-Week and MicroMester Financial Aid Eligibility

10-Week and MicroMester accelerated courses can be eligible for financial aid. However, based on federal and NYS regulations, the type and amount of financial aid a student will qualify for is dependent upon several factors. Factors include the enrollment requirements of the aid program itself, the timing of the student’s registration, and the combination of courses in the student’s schedule.

Suffolk County Community College has a census date each semester. The census date is when a student’s enrolled credit hours are “frozen” for financial aid purposes. The census dates below are important to take note of:

2023 – 2024 Census Dates:

Fall 2023: September 20, 2023

Spring 2024: February 12, 2024

Summer 2024: TBD

Please refer to the specific aid programs below for more information and to understand how timing of registration, in combination with the census dates above, affect financial aid eligibility. For additional information about how enrollment in Late Start and or MicroMesters affects the financial aid disbursements, please visit the disbursement information section of the webpage. To maximize financial aid eligibility, students are highly encouraged to complete their enrollment prior to the census date for the term.

Federal Pell Grants

Students with a valid FAFSA on file, and are registered prior to the census date for the term, will have their enrollment hours “frozen” on the census dates listed above. Once a student’s enrollment is frozen for the term, adding courses to their schedule will not increase their Pell eligibility. 

• For example: A student’s enrollment status is frozen at 6 credits on the census date. A week later, the student finds a 3-credit Late Start class and adds it to their schedule, increasing their course load to 9 credits. However, because the course was added after their enrollment was frozen, their Pell grant will be based on 6 credits for the term.

If a student drops a course after the census date, prior to the start of the course, and then adds another course, the enrollment status used to determine the student’s Pell Grant will remain at the same level as captured on the census date.
For example:

• A student’s enrollment status is frozen at 9 credits on the census date. The student’s schedule includes 6 credits in courses that span 15-weeks, and 3 credits in the late start part of term. Before the late start course begins, the student decides not to take the course and drops it from their schedule.  However, they find a MicroMester course being offered in the second half of the term and adds it to their schedule. Their current enrollment of 9 credits matches their frozen enrollment of 9 credits. Their Pell Grant for the term is based on 9 credits if they begin attendance in all 9 credits.

A student who is not registered as of the census date, will not have enrollment frozen on the census date. Instead, their enrollment will be determined and frozen on the day of registration. Therefore, SUNY Suffolk recommends students registering in only 10-Week and/or the second MicroMester sessions register for all courses at the same time.

For example:

• A student chooses to enroll in a combination of courses offered in the late start and the second MicroMester sessions. The student registers for 12 credits after the census date, all on the same day. On the day the student registers, their enrollment is frozen at 12 credits. Their Pell grant eligibility is based on 12 credits.
• Like the student in the above example, a student chooses to enroll in a combination of courses offered in the late start and the second MicroMester sessions. The student registers for 6 credits. They are still making a final decision on the other two classes. Two days later the student adds the remaining 6 credits to their schedule. However, because all registration not completed on the same day, the student’s enrollment is frozen at 6 credits, and their Pell is based on 6 credits.

New York State Aid Programs – TAP, Excelsior, APTS, Veteran Tuition Award, Part-Time Scholarships, etc.

To be eligible for NYS Aid Programs, students must be enrolled in at least one course that spans 15-weeks. NYS eligible enrollment hours will be frozen on the census date.

For programs that require full-time enrollments, such as the Excelsior Scholarship, student must be registered for 12+ degree applicable credits by the census date. For programs that allow both full-time or part-time enrollment, such as TAP, a student’s credit load for the program is determined as of the census date.

For example:

• A student is registered for 9 credits in courses that span 15-weeks and 3 credits in the first MicroMester for a total of 12 credits. The student is still enrolled these in 12 credits as of the census date and their enrollment status is frozen as full-time. This student considered full-time for NYS programs.
• A student is registered for 9 credits in courses that span 15-weeks. As of the census date, the student is only enrolled for 9 credits when their enrollment is frozen. They choose to add a Late Start course after the census date bringing their total enrollment to 12 credits. However, because they added the 3-credit course after the census date, it does not count towards their enrollment for financial aid purposes. Since this student was frozen at 9 credits, they have a part-time enrollment status for NYS programs.
  • In the example above, if the student is a TAP recipient, their award will be certified including only the tuition for the frozen credit hours. This will result in a reduction to the TAP award after certification.
• A student decides to register for courses in Late Start and MicroMester sessions only. Because they are not enrolled in a course that spans 15-weeks, they are not eligible for NYS programs.