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Financial Eligibility 

The following chart and guidelines are prescribed by the State of New York and determine financial eligibility for the Â鶹¾«Æ· HEOP Program. In addition to these financial parameters, students and their parent(s) or legal guardians must be residents of the State of New York. If the student is considered independent or is a ward of the court, the residence of the parent is not considered. Financial eligibility for the 2025-26 academic year is based on income for the 2023 tax year.

The household income must not exceed the amount shown unless meeting one of the exceptions below. 

• Students who live with foster parents and receive no support from the biological parents may be eligible irrespective of the foster parents' income.
• In cases of extreme mismanagement of household income, a student may be eligible
• In cases of a one-time fluctuation in earnings, a student may be eligible
• In cases of extremely high medical costs, a student may be eligible

*Students in families who receive SSI or full public assistance, including rent, may be automatically eligible.

Economic Documentation 

Students are required to submit documentation to verify income. This may include:

• Signed copy of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) application
• Parent/Legal Guardian and/or student's W2s
• Copies of full federal and state taxes, signed (including any schedules or forms)
• Public assistance budget letters, or letters detailing social security benefits
• Form 1099 - Detailing any social security, unemployment or other income or benefits
• IRS Transcripts - Official transcripts from the IRS detailing what was filed, or if no tax return was filed
• Any other documentation requested

Note: Students should apply for both FAFSA and TAP by no later than February 15.

Freshmen must attend a five-week summer academic program. The Pre-Freshman Summer Program is held on the Dobbs Ferry, Manhattan, and Bronx campuses. Students commute while taking selected courses including reading, writing, math, study skills and college success strategies. They also attend cultural and social activities sponsored by HEOP at Â鶹¾«Æ·.

HEOP counselors meet weekly with each new student. Peer and professional tutors as well as the use of computer labs help students with the completion of classroom assignments. The Pre-Freshman Summer Program is at no cost to the student.

No, HEOP is not what is known as a "minority access program," rather, it was established in 1969 by the State Education Department (SED) to provide access, but principally academic support, for any qualifying New York State student - that is, one who meets both academic and economic eligibility standards.

For HEOP, a student must qualify both academically and financially. Therefore, each college/university that has HEOP will have different academic guidelines. However, each of the schools follow the same financial eligibility format provided by New York State. As a result, if you qualify at one school financially you should qualify financially at every school with HEOP. But, you may not qualify academically for each school.

It is true for some schools not all schools. For those programs that do assist with he cost of purchasing textbooks, the amount provided to students vary and does not typically cover all of the cost. Know that you may be responsible to put money towards the purchase of textbooks as well.

HEOP students must qualify, not only economically, but also academically. The guidelines for HEOP admission may vary from college to college, but are all based on HEOP students being inadmissible under Mercy's regular academic admission guidelines.

HEOP acceptance depends upon the availability of both space and funds. You must check with the HEOP office prior to entry to find out if transfer students are being accepted for the semester you plan to enter Mercy.

No, unfortunately, there are cases where eligible students were not aware of programs such as HEOP or who did not realize that HEOP is designed for first-time college students. If you have already earned college credits, you are not eligible to receive HEOP support services.

Yes, there is a personal contribution expected of each HEOP student. The amount is determined in Mercy's Financial Aid Office by evaluating several factors, including the household's previous year's gross income, the number of students attending college, participation in the college work study program, the students' ability to earn money during the summer or other factors related to the household's financial resources.

Yes, HEOP funds students up to ten semesters. Therefore, if students change their major, re-take courses they performed poorly in, etc. and need an extra semester of year to graduate, HEOP can provide that support. Students are eligible for ten semesters of HEOP aid; anything past five years, students will have finance on their own.

Yes, there are limited tuition waivers for summer courses.

Academically eligible HEOP students whose financial aid forms have been properly filed and approved generally receive the following:

• TAP Grant

• Federal PELL Grant

   

• HEOP Grant
• Mercy HEOP Institutional Grant
• Federal Direct Loan
• Federal Work Study
• Book Allowance
• Travel/Stipend Money 

No, the HEOP program is primarily a commuter program; however, some spots are reserved for students to live in the residence hall if they live more than 50 miles away from one of the campuses (DF, BX, MT), foster youth, homelessness, or other special circumstances.