According to New York State Education Law, you are eligible for up to four years of undergraduate financial assistance unless you are enrolled in an approved five-year program. In that case, you are eligible for five years of undergraduate assistance.

There are two types of five-year programs that qualify for an additional year of State student financial aid. The first type is an academic program that requires five years to complete and that the State Education Department has registered as a five-year program. If you enrolled in this type of program, you are eligible for a fifth year of undergraduate assistance. Examples are certain architecture or engineering programs.

Programs that combine three years of liberal arts plus two years of a specialization are not considered five-year programs. They are considered five-year “pathways” to a degree that normally takes four years to complete.

The second type of eligible five-year program is one that is an organized program of remedial study approved by the Commissioner. These include the Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP), the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP), the Search for Education, Elevation and Knowledge (SEEK) program, and the College Discovery (CD) program. If you are accepted in an opportunity program, you are considered matriculated on that basis and are eligible for up to five years of undergraduate financial aid.

Note: A fifth year of undergraduate assistance reduces your graduate award eligibility to three years.