Remedial courses may be counted towards either full-time or part time enrollment for TAP purposes. However, to qualify for TAP, you must always be registered for a certain number of degree credit courses.

If you repeat a course that you previously passed, you may not count the repeated course towards full-time enrollment for TAP purposes. This means that in order to receive TAP in a semester where you may be repeating a course you passed previously that you have, in addition to the repeated course, at least 12 credits or equated credits of non-repeated courses. If you repeat a course that you previously failed, you may include that course towards full-time enrollment for TAP purposes.

For an associate degree you may receive TAP for up to 6 semesters. You will be limited to 6 semesters of TAP even if you change majors or transfer to another community college. When you enroll in a 4 year college program at a senior college, you will become eligible for an additional 2 full-time semesters of TAP bringing your undergraduate total to 8 semesters. If you are enrolled in a special program you may receive up to 8 semesters in an Associate Degree program (College Discovery) and 10 semesters in a bachelor degree program (SEEK).

When you have completed the FAFSA online, you may then apply for TAP or if you are not applying for FAFSA you may apply for TAP at  www.hesc.ny.gov.

The amount of TAP you receive depends on your family income, the number of family members attending college full-time, the number of semesters you have received TAP, and the size of the annual appropriation for the program. Maximum TAP awards can be equal to but not greater than the full tuition charge at the college. State budgetary restrictions can further limit TAP awards to a portion of your tuition.

It never hurts to apply and let New York State decide whether you are eligible for a TAP grant. The application is easy and you just might qualify. Many students who are not eligible for Pell Grants still qualify for TAP.

Yes, you must reapply for TAP every year in addition to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Yes. You never know if your plans will change and having the TAP application on file will speed up the process if you decide to attend college in New York State.n