Part-Time TAP FAQ for Financial Aid Professionals

• TAP (including PT TAP) only pays for courses/credits that students are enrolled in while matriculated in an approved program of study at an eligible college. Advanced Placement (AP) credits and college credits a student earned in high school are not included toward Part-time TAP payments. However, these credits can be used toward satisfactory academic progress (SAP) if the college accepted them toward the student’s program of study.

• No. 

• Yes. Students must maintain a minimum "C" average throughout their part-time course of study.

• Yes. Eligible colleges are the State Universities of New York (SUNY), the City Universities of New York (CUNY),  not-for-profit Independent Degree Granting Colleges and beginning in 2024 proprietary schools.

• No. The maximum number of TAP points a student is eligible to receive is 48 payment points or 60 in an approved five year undergraduate program of study. A maximum of 36 points may be used toward an associate degree.

• Credits are to be rounded down.

• Yes, HESC is not aware of a student’s enrollment status until a college certifies the student for PT TAP. As such, students will appear on the roster and will be calculated for a full-time TAP award.

• Yes, the student may have accumulated more than 6 points based on the number of credits reported for PT TAP. Students cannot accumulate more than 12 points per year. Schools should work with students to make sure they are aware that if they use more than 6 points for term 1 they will not be eligible for a full award in the following term

Once certification is submitted, HESC will calculate the Part-time TAP award based on the reported credits. The following schedules reflect the percentage of the full-time award and the undergraduate TAP points accrued based on the Part-time TAP credits reported on the roster. The Remittance Advice and Student Status List will reflect the new award.