Education & Student Aid · Surprise rank #265
Family of a Flight 3407 Victim? New York Covers the Full Cost of College
New York runs a dedicated scholarship for the children, spouses and financial dependents of people killed in the February 12, 2009 crash of Continental Airlines Flight 3407 in Clarence, New York. It pays cost of attendance, not just tuition.
Who
Children, spouses and financial dependents of individuals killed as a direct result of the crash of Continental Airlines Flight 3407 in Clarence, New York on February 12, 2009.
Where: For study at colleges in New York State. The crash occurred in Clarence, Erie County, but families anywhere may qualify.
What to do
Start here: Complete the Flight 3407 Memorial Scholarship web supplement on HESC's site to establish eligibility, then file the FAFSA and TAP application by June 30 each year to request payment. Out-of-state residents call the HESC Scholarship Unit at 1-888-697-4372.
Eligibility: Qualifying relationship to a Flight 3407 victim; full-time enrollment in an approved undergraduate program at a New York State college; good academic standing; not in default on a student loan or NYS award.
What you get
The Flight 3407 Memorial Scholarship pays an amount equal to your actual tuition and mandatory fees or the SUNY average, whichever is less, plus HESC's set allowances for room and board, books and supplies, and transportation. It covers up to four years of full-time undergraduate study, or five years in an approved five-year degree program, at a college in New York State.
Benefit: Tuition and mandatory fees up to the SUNY average, plus allowances for room and board, books and supplies, and transportation.
Possible value: Under HESC's published 2025-26 allowance chart, a residential or off-campus student at an independent college is budgeted at about $28,120 for the full year and a commuter at about $17,250. Other grants and scholarships reduce the award, and total aid cannot exceed the federal cost of attendance.
Good to know
Important: Eligibility and payment are separate steps — an approved supplement pays nothing unless you also file the annual payment application. File a separate supplement for each family member, including children too young for college now, because documentation is easier to gather sooner rather than later. Other aid reduces the award.
Availability: Active; accepting applications.
Why people miss it: It is a very narrow, low-publicity program with no general application window, so families outside the immediate Buffalo-area community affected by the crash often never hear of it.
Sources reviewed: Aug 10, 2026