Published
Dear Colleagues,
We hope this email finds you well and that the fall semester is off to a great start. With the new academic year underway, HESC is planning for the release of the 2025-26 TAP application. As you are aware, the US Department of Education (ED) announced that the 2025-26 FAFSA will be available nationally on December 1, 2024. Prior to the full release, the FAFSA will be available to a limited number of people on October 1 and an additional group on November 1. These early users are testers who will ensure the FAFSA functionality is in place before the full national release.
HESC is pleased to announce that the 2025-26 TAP application will also be released on December 1, 2024, to coincide with the FAFSA application opening.
The decision aims to streamline processing and reduce the confusion that occurred last year when the TAP application was released before the FAFSA. Our decision was guided by valuable feedback from the HESC training session held on August 13. During this session, we conducted a poll with more than 500 Financial Aid Administrators and college staff to determine the best approach for the release of the 2025-26 TAP application. Participants overwhelmingly favored aligning the TAP application release date with the FAFSA release on December 1, ensuring a smoother and more coordinated process for both applications. Thank you to everyone who participated. Your feedback was instrumental in shaping this decision and helping us better serve the needs of colleges and their students.
We look forward to continuing to work with you to simplify the application process for our students and families in the coming academic year and beyond. Thank you for your ongoing support.
Regards,
New York State Higher Education Services Corporation