It is never too early to start creating your financial plan. A community college education is the most affordable of all sectors of higher education. 80% of Onondaga students are eligible for some form of financial aid but it is important for you to prepare for all the costs of attending college.

Steps to creating a financial plan:

1. Review the total cost of attending Onondaga
2. Review your current financial resources
3. Apply for  financial aid early!  Fill out a FAFSA online and apply for New York State TAP at least 8 weeks from the start of a semester to give you time to make the necessary adjustments or payments.
4. When your financial aid and/or other payments to your student account exceeds what you owe the college, you will have a financial aid refund. Financial aid refunds may not be available to you at the start of the semester, so create a budget and be prepared to cover the initial educational expenses for the first few weeks on your own.  Most refunds are available around the sixth week of classes unless a student is in a course that begins after the first day of regular classes.  
5. If you need to finance your entire or partial payment to the College, consider using our payment plan which allows for monthly installments
6. Prepare a budget for books and other expenses
7. Stick to a budget!