TAP awards very different at similar SUNYs

One SUNY has listed TAP per year at 2,452. and the other at 4,533. Cost is a factor for me so I’m inclined to go with the school that offers more but I thought TAP was directly correlated to my family’s income. So one might be wrong? I called both schools and neither could give me any conclusive answers.

I also live chatted with HESC. I was told “I honestly don’t know why they are different.”

Any input would be appreciated.

Which schools are they? The cost of attendance isn’t the same at all the 4-year SUNYs, but that seems way off unless one is a cc. Do you qualify for the Excelsior?

The 2 schools are Buffalo and Oswego. I do qualify for the Excelsior but from what I have figured out it is better to not accept it. Pell and TAP amount to more than SUNY tuition and I can use the leftover Pell for room and board.

So, TAP is in relation to COA and not tuition?

Buffalo COA is 26,111, TAP 4,533, SUNY Tuition Credit 1,663.
Oswego COA is 24,131, TAP 2,452, SUNY Tuition Credit 805.

Pell and Merit are the same at both schools

The difference in your award is pretty close to the difference in the COA.

@sybbie719, any ideas why the TAP would be different at two 4-year SUNYs?

Are you sure that both of the awards are for the year or is Oswego”s award by the semester?

Did you contact Oswego”s FA office

What kind of merit did you get at both schools? Is it tuition based or stackable?

It is possible Oswego applied their merit money first, then tap instead of the other way around

Are you sure that both of the awards are for the year or is Oswego”s award by the semester?
Both are for the year.

Did you contact Oswego”s FA office
Oswego gave me HESC’s phone number. The person I spoke with said the numbers should be the same at SUNYs. I opted for live chat and was told that she did not know why the numbers would be different.

What kind of merit did you get at both schools? Is it tuition based or stackable?
Presidential Scholarship from Oswego 5,000
Presidential Scholarship for Buffalo 2,500 and Howard Honors Program 2,500 = 5,000
*Oswego’s is stackable. I have not asked that question of Buffalo.

It is possible Oswego applied their merit money first, then tap instead of the other way around
I’m not sure. I am actually not sure what this question means. The way the awards are listed is different. On Oswego’s list the Presidential Scholarship is listed first. On Buffalos’s the merit scholarships are listed last. Does that indicate something?

Thanks so much for helping me figure this out.

Oswego is where I would like to attend. I am hoping that the mistake (if there is one) was made by them. But perhaps it is just about the COA.

Did you check your award in the hesc portal?
What is your intended major?

Do you have the same EFC from both schools?

Depending on your major it might be easier to keep your scholarship at Oswego where you only need to maintain a 3.0 vs a 3.5 at buff state

Definitely check your hesc portal to see the amount of your award. There can be a big drop off in the amount of tap you receive especially after you get further from a zero EFC

Remember you will not be eligible for excelsior because your school scholarships will kick in first to cover tuition.

@purling, ask your parents to contact HESC on Monday. Somebody should be able to tell you why the award amounts are so different.