New York State Dream Act & TAP for Undocumented & Immigrant Students

New York State Dream Act

Eligibility Requirements

New York State student aid is accessible to select immigrant students who are ineligible for federal student aid through the Senator José Peralta New York State Dream Act. For more information on the Senator José Peralta New York State Dream Act, please review this CUNY page. To be eligible to apply for New York State student aid through the Senator José Peralta New York State Dream Act, students must meet the following criteria:

1. Residency Qualifications: Your permanent home is in New York State.

AND

2. Immigration Qualifications: You have one of the immigration statuses below:

• • You possess a “U” nonimmigrant status (U-Visa).
  • You hold a “T” nonimmigrant status (T-Visa).
  • You have a Temporary Protected Status (TPS).
  • You are undocumented or without a “lawful” immigration status. According to the Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC), this status includes students who:
    • are Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients.
    • are without documented status because their immigration status has expired.
    • are without documented status because their immigration application/petition was denied.
    • are pending a decision on their asylum application.
    • arrived in the United States without inspection.

AND

3. Education Qualifications: You possess one of the following education experiences.

• You attended a New York State (NYS) high school for two or more years, graduated from an NYS high school, and enroll/enrolled for undergraduate study at an NYS college within five years of receiving your NYS high school diploma.
• You received a New York State (NYS) high school equivalency diploma (GED) and enroll/enrolled for undergraduate study at an NYS college within five years of receiving your NYS high school equivalency diploma.
• You are or will be charged the New York State resident tuition rate at a State University of New York (SUNY) or City University of New York (CUNY) college for a reason other than residency outlined here.

Application Resources & Information

If students are eligible to apply for the Senator José Peralta New York State Dream Act, they can apply for financial aid by clicking here. Students completing the application for the first time must create an account.

When preparing to fill out the Senator José Peralta New York State Dream Act, we recommend you start by reviewing the documents you need to complete your application by clicking the button below.

It is important to note that applying for New York State student aid through the Senator José Peralta New York State Dream Act is a two-step process. Please read below for more information. 

Students must first fill out the New York State Dream Act application. After completing the application, the New York State Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC) will review your application. If your application is approved by HESC, you will need to fill out the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) application, as well as any other financial aid applications you may be eligible to apply to. Notably, the TAP application and other financial aid applications are accessible on the same website, with the same login information as the New York State Dream Act.

Please review the two user guides linked below and the module series on the right for step-by-step instructions on how to fill out the New York State Dream Act and the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) applications.

Have Questions? Need Help? Contact Us!

Update: The Immigrant Student Support Initiative is undergoing a transition, and services are currently unavailable. In the meantime, students are encouraged to contact the Queens College Financial Aid Office by making submitting a ticket through the Fresh Service Portal or scheduling an appointment through Navigate. Thank you for your continued patience and understanding. 

After reviewing this guide, if students have questions or concerns about their eligibility to apply for financial aid or would like assistance applying to the New York State Dream Act, we invite them to connect with our office. Current Queens College students can make an appointment with the Immigrant Student Support Initiative by clicking the button below and logging into Navigate. After logging into Navigate, students must select Student Affairs as the care unit. Then, students must select the service labeled Immigrant Support: Financial Aid Review.

If prospective Queens College students and their families are interested in learning more about the Senator José Peralta New York State Dream Act, they may make an appointment with the Immigrant Student Support Initiative by clicking the button below.

If students are unavailable during the provided times, they may contact us and arrange a different meeting time. Lastly, if individuals have any questions or concerns about financial aid, they may also contact our office at 718-997-3990 and ImmigrantSupport@qc.cuny.edu.