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New York State Student Aid


The New York State Student Aid Program is administered by the NY State Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC).

General Eligibility Criteria for New York State Assistance

·         You must meet the program income limits
·         You must submit a FAFSA and a TAP application before June 30, 2024 for the 2023-2004 academic term
·         You must be admitted into a degree program
·         Be a legal resident of New York State (that is, you must have lived in the State for at least one year prior to the first term for which you are seeking
payment) or eligible under the Senator JosĂ© Peralta  New York State DREAM Act
·         Be a U.S. citizen, eligible noncitizen or hold an I-94 visa as a refugee, paroled refugee or conditional entrant
·         Be enrolled as a full-time student taking twelve or more credits applicable toward the degree program. Credit-bearing courses in the student's minimum
full-time course load (12 semester hours or the equivalent) must consist of courses applicable to the student's program of study as a general  education
requirement, major requirement, or elective;
·         In your first TAP semester at least three credit hours of your full-time enrollment must be college credit bearing course work. For all subsequent
semesters, you should check with your financial aid office to obtain the minimum number of degree credits required or you can find the information in
the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) section.
·         HESC will verify the income tax information on your TAP application with the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance
·         For a TAP award be enrolled full-time, that is, enrolled for at least 12 credits or equated credits that meet the requirements of your curriculum/major. ·         For an APTS award be enrolled part-time in at least 6 but fewer than 12 equated credits with at least 3 of these being degree credits
·         For Part-Time TAP students must have started in fall 2006 or later. Earn 12 equated credit hours or more in each of two consecutive preceding semesters,
for a total of 24 credit hours and register for at least six credit hours, but less than 12 equated credits
·         Remain in good academic standing for New York State financial aid programs by meeting Academic Progress standards and demonstrating Program
Pursuit each semester you receive TAP
·         Maintain a ‘C’ average after receiving four semesters of TAP payments
·         Not be in default of Federal Direct student loans or loans that HESC guaranteed
·         You must not have exhausted your TAP eligibility. You are allowed a total of eight full-time semesters of TAP payments (or its equivalent for part-time
study) for your entire undergraduate degree. You may receive up to six semesters as an associate degree student. For some special programs you can
earn up to 10 semesters.
·         Disabled students may be eligible to combine coursework from more than one semester to meet the full-time attendance requirement (see your college
for more information)
·         Have graduated from high school in the U.S., or earned a GED, or pass a federally approved Ability-to-Benefit test as defined by the Commissioner of the
State of Education Department.