June 2024
Brian T. Rose, Vice President for Student Affairs
Dear parents and families,
The end of the academic year is always characterized by awards ceremonies and Commencement
where we recognize and acknowledge our outstanding students and graduates. I have
the privilege of attending all of these ceremonies, and every year my amazement at
the accomplishments of our students exceeds the prior year. The work done within the
Division of Student Affairs is ultimately about providing encouragement and support
to students to take full advantage of the opportunities available to them on campus.
It is always gratifying to see the validation of that work in the success of our graduates.
We work to enhance our programs and services every year to maintain that level of
success. We have many such enhancements to look forward to as we begin the next academic
year with Orientation programs this summer.
Both students and parents are understandably focused upon career outcomes following
their Binghamton education. We are in the process of adding six additional professional
staff to our award-winning Fleishman Center for Career and Professional Development.
Four of the new staff will focus on cultivating job and internship pathways in specific
industries such as healthcare, data science and public sector employment. One will
support students in identifying and participating in a range of experiential learning
options from internships, to research, study abroad and student employment opportunities
on campus. And one will focus upon developing better programming in financial literacy.
We are making a similar investment in health and wellness with the addition of five
new staff in social work and counseling roles. Also in the vein of wellness we look
forward to beginning construction of a substantial addition to our Campus Recreation
gym, which should open during the 2025-26 academic year. We are similarly continuing
our work to improve outdoor recreation spaces in the residential communities with
a focus on Newing College this summer.
Like many of our peer institutions, we are serving an increasing number of students
who self-identify with various disabilities. To respond to that growth, we are adding
five new positions to further strengthen not only disability services, but also the
accessibility of our physical campus and of our online learning platforms.
Finally, we must also work toward mitigating political polarization to remain committed
to the future success of our students. For the past year we have worked with one of
our own alumni with an already distinguished career in mediation to develop a project
aimed at promoting constructive dialogue and the skills necessary to support it. This
coming year we will expand the footprint of last year’s pilot and expect to reach
most of our new students with some element of the project.
In the stories of our graduates I see confirmation that Binghamton University remains
a destination where students can find the inspiration, support and mentorship to launch
successful lives and careers. Their success provides inspiration to us as staff to
continue to strengthen our programs and initiatives to stay ahead of the aspirations
of our newest students.
Brian Rose Vice President of Student Affairs
Financial Aid and Student Records are here to help!
For all servicing options, hours of operation, document submission upload instructions,
and much more, visit the following websites:
Document submission: All documents can be uploaded securely through the myBinghamton portal. Click on Financial Aid and Student Records Document Submission (available links
section on the left side of the page).
2024-25 FAFSA application now open
The 2024-25 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is now open. You can
file your FAFSA here.
Per the Department of Education, institutions, state higher education agencies and
designated scholarship organizations will begin receiving FAFSA information starting
in the first half of March 2024. For more information, visit the 2024-25 Student Aid Index Update and Timeline.
Students and/or parents will report 2022 tax information on the 2024-25 FAFSA. This
information will be automatically transferred from the IRS to the FAFSA using the
new FAFSA contributor and consent functionality.
The Financial Aid office understands that applying for financial aid can be complex.
Watch the videos below and if you still have questions, we're always happy to provide
assistance.
Proxy access available for financial aid information
"Proxy access" is the ability students have to grant others access to view their financial
aid information in BU Brain. For more information about Proxy Access, and instructions
for students, visit the Proxy Access webpage.
2024-25 Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) changes coming – providing more access to
this funding
To help expand access to higher education, the FY 2025 Enacted Budget increases the
minimum Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) award from $500 to $1,000. Additionally,
the Budget increases the dependent student net taxable income (NTI) limit for TAP
eligibility from $80,000 to $125,000, the independent married student NTI limit from
$40,000 to $60,000, and the independent single student NTI limit from $10,000 to $30,000.
These changes are estimated to cost $66 million and benefit roughly 93,000 students
in public and private colleges and universities, including 48,000 students newly eligible
for TAP.
To apply for New York state aid, students must complete a New York state Tuition Assistance
Program (TAP) application. This application provides a single conduit for applying
for payment of all state grants, scholarships and awards, which includes TAP, Excelsior
(requires initial separate application as well), and STEM (requires initial separate
application as well).
Students and parents have the option to link directly to the application from the
FAFSA submission confirmation page or complete the application by going to the NYS
Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC) application webpage. Note that students must be full-time for most NYS grants and scholarships.
All aspects of the TAP application and applications for their respective awards must
be completed with NYS HESC in order for the awards to be sent to Binghamton University
from NYS HESC. For more information, please go to NYS HESC website.
Fall 2024 Excelsior Scholarship application
The Fall 2024 Excelsior Scholarship application opened on May 23, 2024. The application
will close on August 31, 2024. Current recipients do not need to file a new Excelsior
application, but must file a TAP application every year. To review eligibility requirements
and complete your application, visit the Excelsior Scholarship program webpage.
Financial aid sources for the summer are available for matriculated Binghamton University
undergraduate and graduate students who are in good academic standing. Undergraduate
students enrolled for at least six credits during summer session may be eligible to
use Federal Direct Student Loans, Federal Parent PLUS Loans and private loans to help
finance the summer session. Pell eligible students will receive the award automatically
based on eligibility and enrollment.
Due to the delay in receiving 2024-25 FAFSA information, the 2024 Summer Loan Request
Form will not be available until after we are able to provide financial aid offers.
Is your student considering education abroad? If yes, once accepted to an education
abroad program, we encourage financial aid applicants to meet with a financial aid
counselor to discuss costs and funding options. Students must submit a copy of the
program acceptance letter and a detailed program cost sheet. For more information,
visit the financial aid for education abroad webpage.
New York State Get On Your Feet Loan Forgiveness Program
The New York State Get on Your Feet Loan Forgiveness Program provides up to 24 months
of federal student loan debt relief to recent New York State college graduates who
are participating in a federal income-driven repayment plan whose payments are generally
capped at 10 percent of their discretionary income. Visit the NYS Get On Your Feet Loan Forgiveness Program website for more information and instructions on how to apply.
Currently enrolled undergraduates intending to graduate in Summer 2024 must complete
the online Application for Degree (AFD) available on BU Brain in order to receive
their degree.
Students completing coursework at another school in Spring 2024 must email degree@binghamton.edu to complete their Application for Degree.
If you have difficulty locating or completing the Application for Degree on BU Brain,
please email degree@binghamton.edu.
Clear holds
Be sure to clear all holds that may prevent registration. Holds can be viewed online through BU Brain.
Summer 2024 registration
Summer registration opened on March 11.
Term I – May 28–July 1
Add/drop deadline – 11:59 p.m. May 30
Course withdrawal deadline – 11:59 p.m. June 17
Change of grade option deadline – 4:00 p.m. June 19
Term II – July 8–August 9
Add/drop deadline – 11:59 p.m. July 11
Course withdrawal deadline – 11:59 p.m. July 29
Change of grade option deadline – 4:00 p.m. July 29
Students must clear all holds before they can register. Holds can be viewed online
through the BU Brain.
Continuing students will be able to register with a time ticket based on earned credit
hours when the add/drop registration period for the fall semester opens right before
classes begin in August. Check BU Brain in mid-August for time ticket information.
Lost IDs
Students can request a replacement ID card through my.binghamton.edu or send an email (using their official Binghamton University email account — emails
from other accounts cannot be processed) with their name and B-number to idcard@binghamton.edu.
There is a $20 fee for all replacement ID cards, which will be assessed to the student’s
bill in Student Accounts.
Students will need a photo ID to pick up their card. Acceptable forms of ID include:
driver’s license, passport, high school or other university photo ID.
Official expedited electronic transcripts now available
In addition to free official paper transcripts, we also offer official expedited electronic
transcripts. Transcripts are sent in PDF format via email. Official electronic transcripts
are typically sent within 10 minutes of authorization. Attachments can also be uploaded
and sent with your expedited electronic transcript.
There is a $5 charge per recipient for the expedited service.
More information about electronic transcript service is available online.
Families: Follow us on social media, just for you!
Keep your contact information updated in our family database. If your address, phone
or email has changed, send a note to families@binghamton.edu to let us know. And if you're looking for more from us, check out some of our pages
targeted directly to parents and guardians:
