Scholarships & Tuition Assistance

2024 College Scholarship Program

HVCU and the New York Credit Union Association (NYCUA) are here to help with the rising cost of college. Our Annual Scholarship Program offers student members the chance to win a scholarship up to $1,500 from NYCUA! Eligible applicants must be a member in good standing of Hudson Valley Credit Union* and meet all of the following criteria:

• The member is a college-bound high school senior at the time of application.
• The member is attending college for the first time in the fall of 2024.
• The member will be enrolled in either a two- or four-year accredited educational institution or trade/vocational school.
• The member agrees to use any scholarship funds awarded by January 31, 2025, at an accredited educational institution or trade/vocational school only.
  
  

The 2024 Scholarship Program ended on Friday, January 5, and winners will be announced in early summer. We encourage you to check out our free Sallie Mae Scholarship Search Tool for additional scholarship opportunities. 

*Students are considered an HVCU member if they have a Savings Account in their name only or they are listed first on a joint Savings Account with an adult. Hudson Valley Credit Union may occasionally use scores from the NYCUA competition to award its own scholarships. HVCU employees, volunteers, their family, and relatives are ineligible for these HVCU scholarships.

Grants & Scholarships

There are so many options to fund your college education, it can seem a bit confusing at first. One of the best sources of funding is free or nearly-free money from grants and scholarships available for a wide variety of skills, background, and studies. The credit union offers its own scholarships, as well as this easy-to-use Sallie Mae's scholarship search tool with over 3.5 million scholarship opportunities totaling more than $18 billion.

New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP)

The New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) helps eligible New York residents attending in-state post-secondary institutions pay for tuition. Depending on the academic year in which the student begins study, an annual TAP award can be as high as $5,000. TAP is a grant, and does not have to be paid back.

Applying for TAP

For New York State residents who include a New York school in “step six” of the FAFSA, the NYS Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC) will automatically send the applicant an Express New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) Application (ETA). Deadline for filing the TAP Application is May 1st of the academic year for which aid is sought. For more information, visit the HESC website.

If the FAFSA applicant will also be applying for TAP, remember to submit the FAFSA early enough to be able to receive and submit the TAP application before the May 1st deadline.

Student Loan Coaching Resource

Get free student loan coaching from BALANCE. Counselors will give you a one-on-one session and discuss your financing options.

STUDENT LOAN COACHING

Additional Resources

• College Savings Calculator
• Monthly Budget Calculator
• Get free access to 3.5 million scholarship opportunities. Register for HVCU Scholarship Search, powered by Sallie Mae(Opens in a new window)^®
• Access 1.5 million Scholarships at Fastweb