CSTEP Eligibility

First-Year Application Requirements

• Apply for admission to a degree program and be selected for consideration by the Admissions office. Click here for ADMISSION INFORMATION and FINANCIAL AID DEADLINES.
• Possess a high school diploma or equivalent.
• Must be a U.S. Citizen or a Permanent Resident.
• Attend an information luncheon

To be eligible for undergraduate Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program support, a student must be a resident of New York who is either economically disadvantaged or from a minority group historically underrepresented in the scientific, technical, health and health-related professions, and who demonstrates interest in and a potential for a professional career if provided special services. Minorities historically underrepresented in the scientific, technical, health and health-related professions means residents of New York State or permanent resident aliens residing in New York State who are Black, Hispanic, American Indian or Alaskan native. For the purpose of CSTEP, a student who is economically disadvantaged means a student who meets the criteria set forth below:

Economically Disadvantaged Eligibility Requirements:

1. Economic Eligibility Criteria (for students who do not identify as African American, Latino, Native American or Alaskan American):
   All economic eligibility criteria apply to the calendar year prior to the academic year of first entry into CSTEP. For example, 2015-2016, it is the 2014 calendar year; for 2016-2017, it is the 2015 calendar year.
   A student is considered economically disadvantaged if he or she is a member of:
   A household supported by one parent if dependent, by the student or by a spouse if independent, whose total annual income is not more than the applicable amount listed in the income eligibility table.
2. Exceptions:
   Reference to the household income scale need not be made if the student falls into one of the following categories, and documentation is available:
   a. The student's family is the recipient of: (1) Family Assistance Program Aid; or (2) Safety Net Assistance through the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, or a county department of social services; or (3) family day-care payments through the New York State Office of Children and Family Services Assistance, or a county department of social services;
   b. The student is a ward of the State or a county.