Part-Time TAP for Matriculated Students FAQ for Financial Aid Professionals

Who is considered eligible for Part-time TAP?
Effective for the 2025-26 academic year, beginning with any term after July 1, 2025, and thereafter, students enrolled in an approved program at a public or non-profit independent degree granting college, and who are enrolled in at least 3 but fewer than 12 credits, are now eligible for Part-time TAP.  Recipients no longer need to be first time students in 2006 nor meet the requirement to have previously attended full-time, earning 24 or more credits to be qualified. Part-time TAP awards are based on reported credits (6-11) and students actual tuition liability.

Are students who apply through the NYS DREAM Act eligible for Part-time TAP?
Yes, students who apply through the DREAM Act are eligible for Part-time TAP.

Are proprietary college eligible for Part-Time TAP?
Yes, effective 2024-25 academic year.

Can ADA students get both ADA-TAP & PT-TAP?
ADA PT TAP and PT TAP are both part of TAP. Students are using their TAP eligibility whether they receive a full-time TAP award, or a Part-time TAP award through ADA PT TAP, PT TAP or Nondegree PT TAP. Students who are ADA are allowed to receive Part-time TAP depending on the number of credits in which the student is enrolled. ADA students can be enrolled in a minimum of 3 credits.

Is the 24-credit previous enrollment requirement for Accelerated Study (Summer) TAP, which is different than Part-time TAP, being changed, or will it remain the same?
The previous 24-credit enrollment requirement for Accelerated Study remains in effect.

Would a student be eligible for Part-time TAP if they are only taking remedial courses?
Students taking remedial courses are eligible for Part-time TAP, provided they take at least one three-credit course in the term.

If a student is enrolled in two late-session courses (8-week part of term), would they qualify for Part-time TAP, or does the student need to be in at least one course that runs the full length of the semester (16 weeks)?
The student would need to be enrolled in at least one course that runs the full length of the semester.

Is there a final year/term exception for Part-time TAP?
No, the final year/term exception is only for full-time study.

How are points calculated for a student receiving Part-time TAP and APTS?
A student receiving APTS uses 3 points per award. If the student is receiving Part-time TAP during the same term, the student will use additional TAP points depending on the number of credits in which they are enrolled. (See chart below)

For a student who is enrolled for 11 credits and receives Part-time TAP and APTS, would they accumulate more than 6 points for the term between the two programs?
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.

Is Part-time TAP enrollment determined at the Add/Drop period?
Yes

Will there be a new application process for students who are interested in receiving Part-time TAP?
No, both full-time and part-time students must complete the TAP application. When the student is fully approved, the TAP award will be calculated with a full-time TAP award. Part-time TAP awards are recalculated after the school identifies part-time students when certifying the roster.

How does Part-time TAP impact Accelerated Study TAP?
Part-time TAP does not affect Accelerated Study. Under Accelerated Study, the student attends an additional term within the academic year that is not a required term and must meet accelerated study requirements to receive a payment. For example, a student attending a summer term would receive an award under the Accelerated Study rules. A student who is part-time during both terms of the regular academic year does not need to meet accelerated study requirements for summer study. However, the summer term must meet term length requirements (e.g. 15 weeks at a semester-based college) and the student cannot exceed 12 payment points annually.

If a student’s information is on the SSL indicating a full-time TAP award, how is the Part-time TAP award calculated?

A PT TAP award is calculated upon certification when the college reports the actual tuition and credits applicable to the student’s program of study. The full-time TAP award is prorated based on the reported information with the following percentage of an award.

Semester Schools
Partial payment will be made for students taking 6-11 credits as indicated in the charts below:

Trimester Schools
Partial payment will be made for students taking 4-7 credits as shown below:

How does a school defer a Part-time TAP student payment prior to certification?
Schools can use the credit chart to determine an estimated Part-time TAP award prior to certification.

Are part-time students eligible for the SUNY/CUNY tuition credit?
Yes, part-time students who attend a four-year SUNY/CUNY institution are eligible to receive a tuition credit. 

Can students with a 0 GPA receive Part-time TAP?
Only if they are receiving their first payment.

How will we evaluate the GPA requirement for transfer students?
Grades of a “C” or better are normally accepted in transfer, so the student may be presumed to have met the C-average requirement for the initial term of study at the new institution. The new institution also has the option of considering actual grades for credits accepted in transfer when determining the student's cumulative GPA. However, should the school adopt this latter approach, it must be a general policy applied to all transfer students for financial aid purposes.

Can the C average waiver be used for a first payment for Part-time TAP for a transfer student?
No. The C average waiver may not be used to regain eligibility for a Part-time TAP award. The program requires the student to maintain a C average.

Can a waiver be used for good academic standing in order for a student to receive Part-time TAP? 
Yes. However, the "one time" nature of the waiver should be considered before it is granted for a part-time award. 

Note: The "C" average criteria for Part-time TAP is an eligibility requirement that cannot be waived, by using the "C" average waiver, or the one-time good academic standing waiver. 

What would be the exact criteria for eligibility for Part-time TAP under Pursuit of Program?
To satisfy Pursuit of Program, a student must earn a passing or failing grade in a percentage of the minimum course load in each term an award is received. The percentage increases from 50% of the minimum part-time load in each term of the first year an award is received, to 75% of the minimum part-time load in each term of the second year, to 100% of the minimum part-time load in each term thereafter. The pursuit requirement remains a continuous measure of a student’s achievement.

When evaluating a student who received Full-time TAP in their previous semester and is now eligible to receive Part-time TAP, is their pursuit based on the full-time course load or minimum part-time course load?
The Pursuit assessment is based on the full-time course load.

For Pursuit of Program assessment, do you use points or the number of payments?
Use the number of payments.

Can students who are enrolled full-time (12 credits) but only six to eleven credits are applicable to their degree receive a Part-time TAP award?
Yes. Students who are enrolled full-time but have less than 12 credits applicable to their degree can receive a Part-time TAP award.

If a student is enrolled part-time in session 1 and eligible for Part-time TAP, then adds classes to session 2 after the 21st day, would the student lose the eligibility for Part-time TAP?
Any additional classes added after the add/drop period in session 1 will not be counted against Part-time TAP.

If a student is enrolled in 9 credits but only 6 of the credits apply towards the degree, would we only pay on the 6 credits?
Only report the tuition for the credits that are part of the student’s program of study or a remedial course.