NYS Tuition Assistance Program and Double Majors.

Hello,

I’m a Senior Biochemistry & Neuroscience student. AFAIK TAP only awards students in 1. good academic standing, 2. meeting the need-based criterion, and 3. registered for 12 credits toward their respective majors. It also only awards on a “point based system” that translates to eight full semesters of tuition assistance, (ten if (H)EOP).

If a non-(H)EOP student is approaching their fifth year, (or sixth, seventh or eighth), and has only redeemed 4 semesters of TAP, can they redeem 4 more semesters provided they satisfy the three conditions previously enumerated? Thanks!

(@sybbie719 @mom2collegekids I summon thee)

I don’t know how to edit, and I forgot to ask my second question.

According to a previous thread & my institution’s Financial Aid department (which appears to be perpetually closed) , students with double majors must complete 12 degree-applicable credits towards their PRIMARY major.

However, I am rather confused as to what exactly designates either of the two majors as the primary major. If the primary major is the first one you declare, can’t you simply “switch it up” by dropping the major you’re ~6-9 credits away from completing, picking up the second major in its place, and working at it until the last semester where you finish both? (The goal is to maintain tap eligibility while working on 2 majors) I understand these are highly specific questions, and would be thoroughly impressed if anyone knew the answer. Thank you.

Edit: I figured it out.

Once you complete your first major, you will not be awarded any NYS aid.
NYS aid only covers 8 semesters of school or your first degree (which ever happens first). Delaying graduation will not help your cause.

@sybbie719 so here’s a scenario. A senior with a Biochem major wants to take an extra year Before Medical School and is 6 credits away from completing his coursework, but he also wants to receive TAP. So what he does is drop the Biochemistry major and picks up a Neuroscience major so he has more coursework to meet the 12 credit requirement each semester during his extra year. In his last semester he takes 12 credits of his Neuroscience major and 6 of Biochem and graduates with two degrees. Before all of this he hasn’t received TAP and thus hasn’t ran out of points. Is this possible

I think Sybbie already answered your question. If you receive aid for 8 semesters you’re no longer eligible.

I prefaced the entire question with that. I know. Let me ask a third time. My question was, does the student’s standing or credit hours have anything to do with it? I.e Can a student in their 5th, 6th, 7th year receive TAP if they declined it every semester in their 1st-4th year?
Can the student switch majors late into their undergrad and still receive tap provided they didn’t redeem the 8 full semesters?

Let me see if I understand.

You want to know if a student can use the TAP award for years beyond year 4 in college IF they have never received a TAP award before, or used less than 8 semesters of the award.

Is that what you want to know?

You’re currently a college senior and have only used 2 years of TAP? What happened the other 3 semesters? Your financial aid office will tell you if you have any eligibility left. Ask if there’s a maximum number of credits you can have. Did you lose TAP or have you just not applied for it?

@sybbie719
It appears the student is asking if he didn’t use NY aid during the first couple of years as an undergrad, can he do a 5th year undergrad and use NY aid?

NO , Op cannot

He can pick his poison; if he is saying he needs a 5th or 6th year to graduate, then he is not going to get NYS aid because he has not made SAP by completing 30 credits a year toward his degree.

NYS aid is designed to get students in college, and get you out in 4 years. If you want tho double major, change your mind or do anything where it takes you longer than 4 years to graduate, you pay for it out of your own pocket.

It does not matter if there were years that you did not get state aid before, it is still 4 years of college and done.

Unless OP is in an opportunity program or a student with a disability who is coordinating services through access VR if s/he wants to take longer than 4 years to graduate, then Op has to pay for it.

For med school it wouldn’t matter if you have a biochem major, or neuroscience, as long as you complete the prerequisites, right?

True. The OP just needs to pick the most efficient major, time-wise, for him that will get him the best GPA and also complete the premed prereqs.

I apologize for the tone, that was very rude of me. Thanks for the advice everyone!