<p>in NY... what's T.A.P. all about?
thanks</p>
<p>TAP (tuition Assistance Program ) </p>
<p>The New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) helps eligible New York residents pay tuition at approved schools in New York State. Depending on the academic year in which the student begins study, an annual TAP award can be up to $5,000. Because TAP is a grant, it does not have to be paid back!</p>
<p>TAP is administered through the NYS Higher Education Services Corp. </p>
<p>To be eligible for TAP, you must: </p>
<p>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). </p>
<p>Be a US citizen, permanent resident or hold an I-94 visa as a refugee, paroled refugee or conditional entrant (see Financial Aid Eligibility for Non-Citizens). </p>
<p>Be matriculated (enrolled in a program leading to a degree). </p>
<p>Be enrolled full-time, that is, enrolled for at least 12 credits or equated credits that meet the requirements of your curriculum/major. In your first TAP semester, you must have at least 3 degree credits as part of your full-time course load. After your first semester, you must have at least 6 degree credits as part of your full-time course load. </p>
<p>Be enrolled part-time in at least 6 but fewer than 12 equated credits with at least 3 of these being degree credits. To receive Part-Time TAP (or PTAP), you must have already earned 24 degree credits and have at least a 2.00 GPA. PTAP is available only to students who were first-time Freshmen at CUNY in Fall 1998 or later. </p>
<p>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 (see the TAP Progress Chart).
Meet the economic criteria described here.
Have a high school diploma , GED, or received a passing score on an approved ability-to-benefit test.
Be free of debt from any defaulted student loan that HESC guaranteed. </p>
<p>Other FAQ's are :</p>
<ol>
<li> Am I eligible for TAP? </li>
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<p>The NYS TAP program is intended to cover the tuition costs at New York colleges and schools. See Let New York's TAP Help You Pay for College!
To be eligible for TAP, the student must be a New York State resident and attend an eligible school or college located in New York State. The student must file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and list a New York State school or college on the form.
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<ol>
<li> How do I apply for TAP for the first time?
The student must file a paper or online Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and list a New York State college or school. For the online FAFSA process, after the student confirms the FAFSA submission, the student may file the Express TAP Application (ETA) online by clicking on the New York State residents link. Alternately, HESC will receive the data from the paper FAFSA and generate a paper ETA for the student. If the student does not begin the ETA on the Web at the time of filing a FAFSA, a paper ETA will automatically be sent. The paper ETA is typically received 10 - 20 days after the FAFSA is filed. Processing time for the ETA is generally three to four weeks. After the ETA is processed by HESC, you will receive an award certificate. See Apply for Financial Aid for more information, or call the HESC Customer Communication Center at 1-888-NYS-HESC (1-888-697-4372) or 1-800-445-5234 (TDD).
If you listed a CUNY school first on your ETA, your application will be processed by the CUNY Processing Center. You may direct questions about your CUNY application to the CUNY Processing Center at 718-934-6055. </li>
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<p>See Let New York's TAP Help You Pay for College!
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<ol>
<li><p>I received TAP last year, do I have to apply again?
TAP has a multi-year application process, so students who have received TAP in the previous year may not be required to submit a new online or paper Express TAP Application (ETA). However, the student must submit a new Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the Renewal FAFSA for the new award year to be included in the TAP multi-year process. Based upon the data reported on the FAFSA, students will receive an award certificate from TAP with eligibility and award information if certain criteria are met. The student should verify that all information is correct. A TAP change form is included with the letter, and the student should submit the change form if any of the information is incorrect.
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<li><p>How much TAP am I eligible for, and when will I receive it?
Your school will give you an estimate of your TAP award. The information you provide is verified and the TAP award subject to change if there are any discrepancies in income, cost of attendance, family members in school, etc. Use the TAP Estimator to determine an estimate of your award.
You will receive an award certificate telling you about your TAP award. </p></li>
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<p>Your school will see your information on a roster listing students who have received an award certificate for attendance at that school. The school must verify your eligibility and certify your award. If your school needs confirmation of how much your TAP award will be before the roster is sent, you may provide the school with a copy of your award certificate, or you may print your account information from the HESC Web site. </p>
<p>Once the school certifies you are eligible and meeting all of the school requirements, the TAP funds will be sent to the school, usually within two weeks.
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<li> I am not going to the school I originally planned. How can I change my school information?
On your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) you are asked to list the schools you plan to attend. If you are completing a paper ETA, HESC prints your Express TAP Application (ETA) with the first New York school listed. If you are completing the ETA online, the first NY school you listed will appear. If the school is not the correct school, you must change it on the paper or online ETA.
After your ETA is processed, you may make school code changes online using TAP College and Address Change on this Web site. You may also make a change to the school code and/or student address by calling the HESC Customer Communication Center at 1-888-NYS-HESC (1-888-697-4372) or 1-800-445-5234 (TDD) and speaking with a representative. School code changes may also be made using our automated telephone system. </li>
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<p>If you did not indicate a New York school on your FAFSA, you will not receive an ETA. You must make the correction to the FAFSA indicating the correct school you plan to attend. Once the New York School is added, an Express TAP Application will be sent to you. (You will not receive a link to complete your ETA online.)
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<li><p>I have received my award certificate and I need to make changes. Do I have to use the TAP Change Form? How long does it take to process?
Most changes, except for school code and address changes must be submitted on the TAP change form. The TAP change form generally takes three to four weeks to process. School code and address changes may be made online or by telephone and you may also request duplicate TAP forms online. Certain changes may be made by your school or by speaking with a representative at the HESC Customer Communication Center at
1-888-NYS-HESC (1-888-697-4372).
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<li><p>My school estimated my TAP award and my TAP award certificate shows I will be getting less. Why did it change?
The school gives you an estimate of your TAP award and the estimate is subject to change based upon verification of all of the data. TAP verifies the New York taxable income with the New York State Tax Department, and if there are any differences in what is originally reported, your actual TAP award may change. In addition, your TAP award may be calculated based upon many different factors, such as family members in college, and parents income, so it is important to verify all of the data you have provided is complete and correct, and be sure to submit all documentation you are asked for.</p></li>
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