NEW YORK STATE AID PROGRAMS
Tuition Assistance Program (TAP)
Sponsored by the State of New York, TAP, provides tuition assistance for full-time matriculated students (that is, students enrolled for 12 or more credits and/or chargeable hours) depending upon the family net taxable income. All students must apply for TAP each year through New York State Higher Education Service Corporation (HESC). The first step in applying for TAP is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA can be completed two ways: (1) Online at www.fafsa.ed.gov, or (2) a paper application available in the Office of Financial Services – Library Building, 409. After completing the FAFSA, all students must also complete a TAP application.
If you have completed the FAFSA Online, the confirmation page at the end of the web session will give you a link to the TAP-on-the-Web application. Before completing the Online TAP application, you will be asked to establish a PIN (Personal Identification Number) for TAP. After establishing your PIN, you will be able to complete the TAP application. The TAP online application will be pre-filled with some of the information from the FAFSA you had previously completed online. Review this data, supply any missing information, and submit the form electronically.
If you have submitted a paper FAFSA application by mail, you will be mailed an “Express TAP Application”. Like the TAP on-the-Web, the Express TAP Application will be pre-filled with some of your FAFSA data. Like the online form, you must review the pre-filled data, complete the form, sign it, and return it to HESC.
It is important to remember to apply for both the fall and spring semesters, and include Queensborough TAP school code, 1407.
Students whose applications for TAP are approved will receive an award certificate from HESC which states the amount of aid. Make sure that Queensborough is listed as the school on the award certificate. The amount of the TAP award is scaled according to the level of study, tuition charged, the net taxable income as indicated on the TAP application, and the number of TAP payments. A student enrolled in a two-year program cannot receive more than three years of TAP while completing the program. If the award certificate is received before that student’s registration date, tuition will be reduced by the amount stated on this certificate. If the certificate is received after classes have begun, the student will pay the tuition at the time of registration and will be reimbursed later in the school year.
If there is a problem with you TAP application or your award can not be finalized you will receive a letter and e-mail letting you know what additional action is required to finalize your award.
You can check the status of your application and award online at www.hesc.org.
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Eligibility for TAP
To be eligible for TAP, students must be:
- New York State residents, and U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
- Meet the prescribed income eligibility guidelines as set by New York State based upon a families net taxable income.
- Enrolled as full-time matriculated students in an approved New York State postsecondary institution, registering for a minimum of 12 credits and/or equated credits per semester, which must include at least six credits in credit-bearing courses.
- These 12 credits/equated credits must be for coursework that meets the requirements of their specific degree program.
- For the first TAP payment, only three (3) credits in credit-bearing courses are required.
- Students who withdraw from all courses during a semester will lose eligibility for TAP in the next semester. These credits must be required by the curriculum.
- Students enrolled in two-year programs are limited to receiving 6 semesters of full-time TAP payments. However, all students are limited to 8 semesters of full-time TAP payments for their undergraduate studies.
Satisfactory Academic Standing to Maintain TAP Awards
All students receiving TAP must maintain satisfactory academic progress as determined by New York State. Any student who fails to "pursue a program of study" or to "make satisfactory academic progress," as defined by the New York State Education Department, will lose TAP eligibility for the following semester. Therefore, students must meet both of the following minimum standards set by the New York State Department of Education:
- Pursuit of Program
Students are required to complete a certain minimum number of credits or chargeable hours each semester as specified in the chart below:
To be eligible for TAP Award Number |
A student must have completed this number of credits or equivalents* for the prior semester: |
1 |
0 |
2 |
6 |
3 |
6 |
4 |
9 |
5 |
9 |
6 |
12 |
- Academic Progress
This requirement means that students must accumulate a specified minimum total number of credits and achieve a specified cumulative grade point average (GPA) to be eligible for the TAP award number as indicated below:
To be eligible for Award Number |
Minimum number of credits earned |
Minimum cumulative grade-point average |
1 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
6 |
1.0 |
4 |
18 |
1.2 |
5 |
31 |
2.0 |
6 |
45 |
2.0 |
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Important Notes
- Students who have already received payment for three years (or six semesters) of TAP are not eligible for an award in 1995-96 if enrolled in a two-year program.
- To be eligible for TAP, a student must register for a minimum of 12 credits and/or chargeable hours which must include at least 6 credits in credit-bearing courses. The only exception is the first TAP payment for which only three (3) credits in credit-bearing courses are required.
- Students who withdraw from all courses during a semester will lose eligibility for TAP in the next semester.
- Students on probation or continued probation who make satisfactory academic progress during this probationary period and continue to maintain their academic standing will maintain their eligibility for financial aid.
- A repeated credit course cannot be included as part of a student’s minimum full-time or part-time course load for New York State financial aid purposes except in the following cases: (1) when the repeated course was previously failed; (2) when the course was previously passed but with a grade too low to be accepted in the student’s curriculum; or (3) when a course may be repeated and credit earned each time.
- A repeated noncredit (remedial) course cannot be included as part of a student’s minimum full-time or part-time course load for New York State financial aid purposes: (1) if the student has already received two payments for that course, or (2) if the student received a passing grade for that course.
- Loss of TAP eligibility: Students who fail to meet the standards of academic program pursuit, academic progress, and/or attendance, will lose their TAP eligibility. In addition, any student who registers for courses without having met these standards will be liable and billed for the full amount of his or her TAP award.
- Transfer students or students making a change of curriculum should review their status with an academic adviser and a financial aid counselor in order to insure their TAP eligibility status.
- Waiver Policy. Students who can demonstrate that exceptional circumstances beyond their control caused them to have a substandard record may be eligible for a one-time undergraduate waiver of TAP regulations. Waivers will be granted in these exceptional cases only when (1) there is a reasonable probability that the student will regain good academic standing; (2) the student is able to present full documentation; (3) the waiver is recommended by the Academic Senate Committee on TAP Waivers after the student has met with an appropriate college official; and (4) the waiver is approved by the TAP Waiver Officer. Students who wish to apply for a TAP waiver must make an appointment with the TAP Waiver Officer.
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Aid for Part-Time Study (APTS)
The Aid for Part-Time Study (APTS) program, sponsored by the State of New York, was established to provide tuition assistance for part-time matriculated students. Students should follow the same application instructions indicated above for TAP.
Eligibility for APTS
APTS is not an entitlement program. There are limited resources. The institution (CUNY) selects and determines the individual award amounts. To be eligible, students must: (1) be enrolled as a part-time student in an approved undergraduate degree program in New York State (part-time is defined as at least six [6] but no more than eleven [11] chargeable hours); (2) meet the income limits; (3) be a New York State resident; (4) be either a U.S. citizen or permanent resident; (5) have a tuition charge of at least $100 per year; and (6) have remaining TAP eligibility.
APTS awards
The money available for all participating institutions is set each year in the State budget. The amount received by a particular college is determined by the school’s percentage of the total part-time enrollment at all participating institutions. The number and the amount of awards are determined by the participating institution based on its allocation of funds.
Satisfactory Academic Progress for APTS
Recipients must be in good academic standing in according with New York State’s rules and regulations as outlined above in the Tuition Assistance Program.
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