State Aid

progress and pursuit

In order to maintain eligibility for TAP, students must satisfy progress and pursuit requirements.

The general requirements are as follows:

  • Must have a GPA of at least a 2.0
  • Must have completed a percentage of attempted credits each semester, determined by the number of points/payments of TAP they have accrued
TAP Points Grade Percentage

6-12 points

received grade for at least 50%

18-24 points

received grade for at least 75%

30-48 points

received grade for 100%

For state aid, progress and pursuit are measured after every term.

Appeals

If the student does not meet the requirements, the student may submit an appeal (PDF) to the Financial Aid Office. The appeal will be forwarded to the Appeals Committees for review. Please note, TAP appeal is a one-time waiver.

Drops, Withdrawals, and State Aid Eligibility

New York State requires TAP recipients to enroll in and complete at least 12 credits in a semester; therefore, dropping to fewer than 12 credits will make the student ineligible for TAP in that semester. Eligibility for TAP in a subsequent semester is also contingent on the completion of at least 12 credits in the prior semester for which the student received TAP.

  • If a student has fewer than 12 credits within the first 7 days of the term, they are no longer eligible for the TAP grant.
  • If a student has fewer than 12 credits between the 2nd and 3rd week of the term (and thus earned a WD grade), there are two choices the student can take regarding an award which will have to be communicated to the Financial Aid office.
    • Option 1: A student may choose to keep the award for the current semester. Doing so may result in their being ineligible for TAP in future semesters due to not completing the required 12 credits needed in this term. Additionally, WD grades result in a tuition recalculation lowering the students total tuition liability. A students TAP award will be reduced accordingly. Please keep in mind that 6 points are used for each semester in which the TAP award is received. A student will still be using the full TAP points for the current semester even though the award is reduced. A student will no longer receive TAP once 48 points have been used.
    • Option 2: A student may choose to decline the TAP award for the current semester. This will ensure that a student does not use any TAP points and retain TAP eligibility for future semesters. However, the student will be responsible for the remaining tuition liability on the account once the TAP award is removed.

If a student withdraws (W grade) from one or all of their courses, they will be eligible to keep the TAP grant for that term, however, they may not be eligible to receive TAP in subsequent semesters as they would not have met the progress and pursuit requirements set forth by the state. Students must complete a certain percentage of attempted credits each semester, determined by the number of points/payments of TAP they have accrued to maintain eligibility, as detailed above.

If dropping or withdrawing a course, please email Financial Aid with any questions regarding the impact of the TAP grant.