BINGHAMTON, NY –– Binghamton University announced today that it will begin supplementing information and tools available to families using a standardized Financial Aid Letter from the State University of New York this fall. All of the SUNY system’s 64 campuses will use the letter for the 2013-2014 academic year, as part of the SUNY Smart Track™ campaign, a commitment to expand transparency of the college financing process across all campuses.

The SUNY standardized letter will allow students and their families to see clearly the cost of attendance and financial aid offerings at each campus, including campus-specific information such as graduation rate, median borrowing and loan default rate.

“Binghamton offers students a very high quality education at a very affordable price,” Binghamton University President Harvey Stenger said. “We recognize that financing a college education requires careful planning and see great value in making that process easier across all campuses.”

“While college students across the country are taking on more loan debt than ever before, SUNY Smart Track™ gives our prospective students the most comprehensive and transparent financial aid information available so that they can make informed decisions about how to pay for their college education,” said SUNY Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher. “The standard award letter will allow prospective students and their families to easily compare colleges within SUNY and view a full outline of the financial commitment associated with their education.”

Development of the standard financial aid award letter was first announced when SUNY launched its Smart Track™ campaign in September and complements very nicely efforts already underway at Binghamton. With the launch, SUNY adopted the concept of transparency of financial aid and college costs across all campuses while offering students the most proactive, comprehensive financial aid information and services in the country.