Were you aware that students who earn a bachelor’s degree can earn $1.2 million more than those without one over the course of their lifetime?
We know that the cost of attending college may be overwhelming. The good news is that Vaughn strives to make earning a degree more affordable. Approximately 93% of Vaughn students receive some type of financial aid, whether it be through state aid, opportunity program support and scholarships. And Vaughn’s financial aid and admissions teams will assist students through every step of the financial aid application process.
Are you ready to dive into your future? What follows is important information from our panel that can help you take the first steps to affording a college education.
Recent Changes to the FAFSA
Sometimes change is a good thing. The FAFSA has undergone significant changes through the FAFSA Simplification Act that not only extends aid to more students but makes the application easier and faster to complete. The 2025-2026 FAFSA opened to all families on November 18, 2024. Institutions have recently begun receiving FAFSA information from the government. Once completed, the FAFSA information from the government is sent to colleges that need it to be able to review applications and provide prospective students with financial award letters so they can determine the cost of attendance at the institutions they’ve applied to.
Whether you have heard about the FAFSA or are new to the college financial aid process, it’s important to know that this application is your gateway to applying for federal aid. Why is this important? Completing the FAFSA application not only opens up opportunities for institutional financial aid but it also extends consideration for additional scholarships and other types of aid. Everyone should complete the FAFSA, regardless of whether or not they think they are eligible.
According to Vaughn’s Associate Vice President of Enrollment Beatriz Novoa-Cruz, “Completing the FAFSA is the number one thing students should do to help with the cost of their education. Some families make the assumption that they won’t qualify and do not apply.” Last year, over $31 billion in Pell Grants was disbursed. “Even if a person doesn’t qualify for the federal Pell Grant, there are other forms of grants that do not have to paid back, such as awards through the New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) and the Enhanced Tuition Awards Program (ETA) that New York state students may be eligible for—not to mention scholarships. So, it always makes sense to apply.”
New York State Opportunity Programs
Vaughn proudly offers help through the Arthur O. Eve Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP) as another way to give New York state students a jump-start on their futures. Funded by the New York State Education Department (NYSED), HEOP continues to play a crucial role at Vaughn by supporting students who are academically and economically disadvantaged. “Through a state-issued grant, Vaughn is able to assist students with items like tuition, textbooks and laptop computers and can provide counseling and tutoring to help level the playing field for these students,” said Lauren Cajade, executive director of Vaughn’s opportunity programs.
To be eligible for HEOP, students must meet the following requirements:
Be a New York resident.
Be a first-time college student, with transfer students from other opportunity programs also eligible to apply.
Meet economic criteria.
Meet academic criteria. Students must take a standardized exam to see where they place in math and English.
Vaughn currently has 100 students in the HEOP program.
Scholarship Universe
Scholarship Universe is another way for current Vaughn students to search and apply for scholarships—both institutional (at Vaughn) or external. This software program connects to each student’s account through a database, thus making the process more streamlined when the time comes to apply. Additionally Vaughn offers 36 donor-funded scholarships.
This month, we are proud to share the amazing educational opportunities these programs offer and spotlight some of the success stories of Vaughn students who are pursuing their dreams because of these programs.
About HEOP
HEOP was designed for New York State residents who, without academic and financial support, might not be able to attend college. This program is an important part of life at Vaughn. The primary objective of HEOP is to help provide a broad range of services to help students enroll and succeed in college, which aligns with Vaughn’s mission and vision – to inspire a diverse community of students to achieve success with a transformational education that creates a lifetime of opportunity. Some of the academic and financial support services HEOP offers include the summer immersion program, tutorial services, counseling services and financial assistance.
Who is eligible for HEOP?
Individuals must meet certain criteria to be eligible for HEOP. These include:
Being a New York State resident for at least one year prior to enrolling in a post-secondary institution
Being a first-time freshman student
Being a graduate of an approved high school, or having obtained a high school equivalency diploma
Meeting the academic eligibility guidelines established by Vaughn College HEOP program
Vaughn students find success through hard work and HEOP
Vaughn is proud to be a part of the success of its students. Through hard work and the help of HEOP, students like Xylene DeCoteau ’20 and Zarin Tasnim ’21 are one step closer to living their dreams.
Xylene DeCoteau
In May 2020, Xylene DeCoteau received her bachelor’s degree in aircraft operations after an impressive academic career at Vaughn. While she was a student, she earned several licenses, which included her private pilot license (PPL), instrument rating (IR) and commercial pilot license (CPL) for both single and multi-engine aircraft. She has also earned her certified flight instructor airplane (CFIA) and certified flight instructor instrument (CFII) certificates, and she currently teaches and supports other students at Vaughn on a part-time basis.
“Everyone at Vaughn has supported my success, and I am happy and honored to have achieved so many of my goals. HEOP and hard work really made a difference. Plus, I get to fly and go to college at the same time. What can be better than that?”
Zarin Tasnim
Zarin Tasnim ’21 graduated with a bachelor’s degree in airport management. She overcame many cultural barriers, which included learning to speak English after having moved to New York from the People’s Republic of Bangladesh. After enrolling at Vaughn in 2017, the hard reality of not being able to afford the program forced her to begin the process of withdrawing from the College. HEOP provided Tasnim with the financial assistance she needed to remain a student at Vaughn.
“Without the support and guidance from HEOP and the Vaughn family, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Working as an airport manager will give me the experience that I need—right out of college—to help lay the groundwork for my future.”
Applying for Vaughn’s HEOP Program
If you are interested in applying for Vaughn’s HEOP program, you can start the process by sending an email to Melissa Teixeira at Melissa.Teixeira@vaughn.edu or Lauren Cajade at Lauren.Cajade@vaughn.edu. They can help you determine if you are eligible and walk you through the various steps for admission.
About CSTEP
CSTEP is intended to enable students to apply to college-level academic programs in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM. Last fall, Vaughn implemented CSTEP to serve 100 students—at any given time and who are enrolled full-time—in a STEM-focused bachelor’s degree program. Like HEOP, CSTEP provides students with specific services related to the program. Depending on the student’s college level, the program will provide the following services to those enrolled:
Mentorship by professors at the College
Free gateway courses designed to increase student academic performance in fundamental courses
Supporting extracurricular activities, such as participation in student-led clubs and activities
Priority course registration for each semester the student is in CSTEP
Opportunities to participate in professional conferences, seminars and networking events
Opportunities to participate in career development events provided by the engineering department and the career services office
Eligibility to participate in the summer research program – a paid research program that is supported by CSTEP and Vaughn College under the supervision of faculty members
Participation in supplemental instructors’ program and tutoring services
Who is eligible for CSTEP?
The eligibility requirements for CSTEP differ from HEOP. A student who is eligible to be part of the CSTEP must be:
A New York State resident
In good academic standing (high school cumulative GPA of 3.0, or college cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher)
Enrolled full-time in an AAS or BS program in engineering or engineering technology at Vaughn
Additionally, the student must be one of the following historically underrepresented minority groups:
Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, American Indian or Alaskan Native
If you meet the eligibility requirements and are interested in applying for the CSTEP program, fill out an application. For general inquiries about the program, please send an email to CSTEP@vaughn.edu. For specific inquires or assistance, please reach out to Dr. Amir Elzawawy at amir.elzawawy@vaughn.edu or Cecelia Izzo at cecelia.izzo@vaughn.edu.
In summary, if you have your sights set on attending college – reach out to us and we can help you determine your eligibility for these programs and get you the support you need to achieve your dreams.
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