Published
Dear Colleagues:
The 2022-2023 Enacted State Budget continues to fund programs that enable the neediest of New York's students to pursue their educational goals without financial constraints.
Below are financial aid highlights of the 2022-23 Enacted Budget that support higher education.
Full Support for Over $1 Billion for HESC Financial Aid Programs
The 2022-2023 State Budget protects New Yorkers' access to an affordable college education by continuing full support for over $1 billion in HESC-administered financial aid programs, including TAP and the Excelsior Scholarship.
Part-Time TAP
The 2022-23 Budget recognizes that for many students, full-time higher education is not viable with other challenges like work or families. To address this, the Budget eliminates the prior full-time enrollment requirement, thereby expanding the Part-time Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) to cover all otherwise TAP-eligible students enrolled in six or more credits at a SUNY, CUNY, or not-for-profit independent college.
Recognizing that many students need access to effective training courses to upskill in their current careers, the Enacted Budget also expands the Part-time Tuition Assistance Program to support part-time students in non-degree training programs at community colleges that directly lead to employment or advancement in a significant industry, as identified by the New York State Department of Labor's Statewide Significant Industries Report.
TAP for Incarcerated Individuals
The Enacted Budget restores TAP funding eligibility, providing thousands of incarcerated individuals a chance to apply for and access TAP to fund post-secondary education, engage in programming that will expand their employment opportunities and their futures, and help reduce recidivism rates and ensure higher success among this population upon release.
The corrections systems will coordinate with higher educational institutions and will manage educational activities within their facilities; therefore, schools will be required to track and report to HESC on the number of incarcerated TAP recipients each term for the 2022-23 academic year.
Tuition Rates Charged for Excelsior Scholarship
The Budget resets the tuition rate charged for all current Excelsior Scholarship recipients beginning with the 2022-23 academic year and every year thereafter. Each cohort of award recipients will continue to be charged the flat tuition rate in each year they remain eligible to receive such award.
Additional Funding for the McGee Nursing Faculty Scholarship and Young Farmers Loan Forgiveness Programs
The Enacted Budget provides $2 million in additional funding for the Patricia K. McGee Nursing Faculty Scholarship Program, and $0.05 million in additional funding for the NYS Young Farmers Loan Forgiveness Program for 2022-23 and permanently lifts the spending and award caps for these programs, respectively.
STEM for Private College Students
The funding for STEM Scholarship awards for students attending private colleges expires with the 2021-22 academic year. As a result, no new awards will be made, effective with the 2022-23 academic year; however, private college students with remaining eligibility will continue to receive all payments for which they are eligible.
P-12 Paraprofessionals and Teaching Assistants
The Budget includes initiatives to upskill current paraprofessionals and teaching assistants. The Budget will provide grants for paraprofessionals who remain employed in a school district to pursue a teaching degree.
Specific details about each of these programs will be provided as they become available.
Thank you for your continued partnership.
Regards,
The New York State Higher Education Services Corporation