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TAP / Part-Time TAP
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More than 30,000 CUNY students are newly eligible for TAP — the Tuition Assistance Program! If you are a part-time student taking 6 to 11 credits, you may be eligible — learn more. Please keep in mind, Part Time TAP is only available to students who first began college in the 2006-2007 academic year or after. Attendance in college prior to 2006-2007 makes you ineligible for Part Time TAP whether you completed a degree or not.
TUITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
New York State's Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) provides grants to students to assist them in paying tuition. The TAP program is administered by the NY State Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC). Any student receiving state aid must also be a graduate of a US high school, or have received the equivalent, or have received a passing grade on a federal-approved examination. For questions on ability to benefit, visit the NY HESC FAQ page.
Each payment or semester of TAP/PTAP uses points, with the lifetime limit set at 48. For students attending full time and receiving full time TAP, 6 points per term is used of the 48. For eligible part time students, PTAP point usage is prorated by enrollment. See chart below.
| Credits | % of FT Award | TAP Points Used |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | 50.00% | 3.0 |
| 7 | 58.34% | 3.5 |
| 8 | 66.67% | 4.0 |
| 9 | 75.00% | 4.5 |
| 10 | 83.34% | 5.0 |
| 11 | 91.67% | 5.5 |
Students should be aware that all financial assistance awards are subject to student compliance with federal, state, and/or college regulations concerning satisfactory academic progress and standing. Students dropping or withdrawing from courses should refer to the financial aid guidelines for eligibility. Students on probation who make satisfactory progress may continue to be eligible for financial aid. All state undergraduate financial aid requires that the courses for which student has registered are required for the bachelor's degree. Minimum standards of satisfactory progress for financial aid are indicated below.
To receive each TAP payment:
- Your credits must count towards your degree. (Not sure if they do? Contact your academic adviser or log into FACTS to make sure).
- You must have completed a specific number of credits in the previous semester (see pursuit chart below);
- You must have accumulated a specific number of credits towards your degree (see program chart below);
- You must maintain a specific minimum GPA (grade point average);
- You must have declared a major by the time you complete 60 credits. (If you are repeating a course in order to earn the "C" required for your major, your major must be noted in your academic records even if you have not yet completed 61 credits.)
PURSUIT
A requirement that a student receive a passing or failing grade (A-F letter grade) in a certain percentage of courses each term, depending on the number of state awards the student has received. The percentage is determined according to the following schedule
| Number of payment (semester) | Must receive a grade for |
|---|---|
| 1, 2 | 50% of minimum enrollment requirement |
| 3, 4 | 75% of minimum enrollment requirement |
| 5 or more | 100% of minimum enrollment requirement |
SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC PROGRESS
A requirement that students accumulate a specified number of credits and achieve a specified cumulative GPA each term, depending on the number of state award payments students have received.
- There are different SAP charts dependent on when the student first began receiving the TAP grant. To view additional charts, visit HESC.
- Note: After students have received the equivalent of four semester payments of any state award, students must maintain a GPA of at least 2.0.
REPEATED COURSES
Repeated courses in which you have already received a passing grade cannot be included in meeting the TAP full-time study requirement. Repeated courses may be counted toward the full-time study requirement if:
- You repeat a course that you have previously failed
- You repeat a course for additional credit
- You received a passing grade that is unacceptable in a particular curriculum.
Program: Baccalaureate Program
Calendar: Semester 2010 - 11 and thereafter (non-remedial students)
| Before Being Certified for This Payment | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | 10th |
| A Student Must Have Accrued at Least This Many Credits | 0 | 6 | 15 | 27 | 39 | 51 | 66 | 81 | 96 | 111 |
| With At Least This Grade Point Average | 0 | 1.5 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
TAP WAIVERS
You may be granted a one-time waiver of the TAP academic requirements with the strong expectation that you will meet all requirements in the future. Contact the Office of Financial Aid or navigate to Maintaining Eligibility: State Aid for more information about the process for submitting the appeal.
Additional information about the New York States Tuition Assistance Program can be found on CUNY's New York State Grants website.