Application and Award Procedures

All students who meet eligibility requirements, established for general or other award programs, are assured assistance if they file the requisite application forms by the associated deadlines. Once applications are closed, applicants are no longer able to apply and will not be eligible for programs they did not apply for.  When students apply for aid in a subsequent year and become eligible for an award, they are not eligible for retroactive awards.

The New York State Education Department (SED) selects academic performance award recipients based on academic competition. The SED notifies HESC of the students it selects for these awards. To receive the award, students must submit a NYA Payment Application to HESC by June 30 of the academic year for which assistance is being sought. Other HESC-administered scholarships have specific application deadlines reflected on scholarship quick references.

TAP Application: FAFSA direct pathway. Legal NYS residents can apply for both federal and state financial aid using a single online session. After completing the FAFSA, NYS residents who selected at least one NYS institution can link to the TAP application, sign in using their ID and password, and complete the required fields. Prior year recipients will have historical data prefilled on their application from HESC's system. 

NYS residents who exit the FAFSA session and do not link directly to the TAP application can apply using the TAP application on HESC’s website after waiting three days for HESC to receive the ISIR data. 

NYS DREAM Act pathway. HESC provides a pathway for applicants who meet certain citizenship and/or do not meet legal New York State residency requirements for the FAFSA-TAP electronic application pathway.

Applicants who meet the NYS Dream Act criteria will follow the steps below:

1. Visit hesc.ny.gov/DREAM and click "Apply" 
2. Register a new account or log in 
3. Click the “Add new application” button 
4. Complete Path Determination Questionnaire 
5. Submit DREAM Act Eligibility Application
6. After the DREAM Act Application is approved, submit your TAP application
7. Accept the TAP award after it has been approved. Approval takes up to two weeks 
8. Continue submitting other financial aid applications, such as the Excelsior Scholarship
9. Check email for questions and/or updates about your applications

Applicants can log in to their account portal to see their application status at Log in To Apply.

Alternative eligibility pathway. HESC provides an application pathway for applicants who meet citizenship (via the FAFSA) and legal NYS residency requirements but do not wish to file the FAFSA due to privacy concerns. Applicants should be made aware that if they choose the alternate eligibility path, they may be eligible for NYS administered financial aid programs, but will not receive federal aid if they do not complete the FAFSA. Alternate Pathway applicants also do not qualify for the Excelsior nor the ETA scholarships as per NYS Education Law, which outlines those programs as FAFSA-required when applicants are eligible to file a FAFSA.

Applicants must meet the following eligibility criteria to be able to apply through the alternate eligibility pathway: 

• Citizen or eligible non-citizen 
• NYS resident and 
• have at least one parent or spouse who is not a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen

Applicants who meet the above criteria will follow the steps: 

1. Visit hesc.ny.gov/altpath and click "Apply"
2. Register a new account or log in 
3. Click the “Add New Application” button 
4. Complete Path Determination Questionnaire 
5. Submit Alternative Eligibility Pathway Application 
6. After the Alternative Eligibility Application is approved, submit your TAP application 
7. Accept the TAP award after it has been approved. Approval takes up to two weeks 
8. Continue submitting other financial aid applications, such as the STEM Scholarship 
9. Check email for questions and/or updates about your applications 

Students can log into their account portal to see their application status at Log In To Apply.

Student Change Forms. Students can update information on their original application when applying, update their account through Student Access, or report information previously not reported by submitting a Request for Information (RFI). Students are sent an email directing them to HESC's Website to complete the RFI electronic form. The RFI requests information not previously reported on the application. Students can use it to change information reported on the application or to withdraw a financial independence claim.

Institutions Submitting Changes or Missing Data. Schools that participate in HESC's Electronic Financial Aid Network (EFAN) can submit changes to previously reported information or missing information to HESC electronically on behalf of students. Schools can submit electronic changes for all application data except:

• Social Security numbers,
• Proof of NYS residency, 
• Income information and
• Required signatures

HESC will attempt to process electronic changes daily and no later than three working days after the school submits changes.

Effect of College Code Changes

• If HESC processes a college code change before the student appears on a payment roster, HESC places the student's name on a payment roster for the new school.
• If HESC processes a college code change after the student appears on a payment roster but before appearing on a Remittance Advice, the student is automatically decertified on the initial roster, and the notation "College Code Change" is indicated on the Remittance Advice. HESC then places the student on a payment roster for the new school.
• If HESC processes a college code change after the student appears on a payment roster and after being decertified on the Remittance Advice, HESC places the student on a payment roster for the new school.
• If HESC processes a college code change after the student has been certified for payment and appears on a Remittance Advice, HESC will deny the student's request for a college code change. (Students cannot be certified at two different schools for the same term.)

After HESC processes an application and determines the student to be eligible or ineligible for an award, HESC sends an award notification to the student via email. The award notification directs the applicant to view their award information online. The applicant will access their account using their user ID and password. 

College administrators may view individual student record information for award notifications on the G&S web pages and through notifications/files sent to colleges. 

G&S Student data is available by year and includes the following fields:

• Application source and status, record status and last update, last correspondence with student, financial independence status, grant or scholarship type, annual index number, first award year, grant or scholarship ID, good academic standing waiver, Excelsior/ETA flags, income verification information, VA, CV, CPF numbers and statuses. The following describe certain fields that are provided in the student record:
  • Annual Index Number. Based on the family's NYS net taxable income as reported on the application and verified for payment. The figure enables students and institutions to estimate TAP awards at a school other than the one listed on the award notification. To estimate the TAP award, subtract the annual index number amount from the annual tuition charge or the maximum annual TAP award, whichever is less. HESC prorates the remaining amount by term to arrive at the term award.  
  • First Award Year. The first academic year (e.g., 2025-26) in which HESC awarded a student TAP or other state grant or scholarship award
  • Waiver. The student's use of the one-time waiver of good academic standing, indicated by one of the following codes:  
    • waiver has never been used
    • waiver used as an undergraduate
    • waiver used as a graduate student
    • waiver used as both an undergraduate and graduate student
  • Total points. Reflects the number of payment points accumulated for each program:
    • TAP UG- TAP undergraduate 
    • TAP Grad- TAP graduate
    • Scholarship - undergraduate or graduate 
    • VA- Veterans Tuition Award undergraduate
    • CV- Regents Award for Children of Deceased or Disabled Veterans (CV) or the Memorial Scholarships for Families of Deceased Firefighters, Volunteer Firefighters, Police Officers, Peace Officers, and Emergency Medical Service Workers (CPF)
    • Excelsior
    • Enhanced Tuition
    • STAP 
    • APTS- Aid for Part-Time Study program
  • Processing Messages. HESC includes a variety of messages in a student's award notification. For easy reference, codes corresponding to each message are included on the school’s copy of the award notification and on G&S web screens. Institution staff must log in with their ID and password, then select Forms and Bulletins and review the EFAN layout for the Student Status Listing. 

Calculating Awards. The TAP program provides a range of annual award amounts. HESC considers each of the following factors in calculating a student's award:

• Net taxable Income. HESC bases TAP awards on the applicant’s family's net taxable income. Net taxable income refers to the taxable balance as reported on the appropriate New York State tax returns after relevant exemptions and deductions. The lower the net taxable income, the larger the award. For dependent students, HESC uses the income of the parents, the student, and the student's spouse, if married. For independent students, HESC uses only the income of the student and, if married, the student's spouse. Income from state, federal, and local government pensions must be included when reporting income for TAP (Effective 2009-10), and income from annuities, which were excluded on the NYS tax form, must be added back to the income for purposes of calculating the TAP award (Effective 2010-1).
• Tuition. TAP awards are provided for tuition only and cannot exceed a student's tuition liability or the applicable maximum award, whichever is less. When the student's tuition liability is less than the maximum TAP award, HESC uses the actual tuition liability as a basis for calculating the award.
• Term Structure. HESC initially determines TAP awards on an annual basis and prorates the award by the number of terms constituting the academic year. For institutions operating on a semester calendar, the annual award is divided by two to determine each term's award.  For trimester calendars, the annual award is divided by three to determine each term's award.
• Award Schedules. NYS statute provides different award schedules for dependent and independent students; students enrolled at degree or non-degree institutions; and students enrolled at the undergraduate or graduate level. Current Award schedules used by HESC to determine awards are in Appendix A. HESC uses the award schedule to determine a reduction factor based on net taxable income and then subtracts the reduction factor from the maximum TAP award for that schedule or the tuition charge, whichever is less. The remainder is the student's annual TAP award.
• Minimum Award. All TAP award schedules provide for a minimum award that is available to eligible students whose income does not exceed the maximum allowed for a student's schedule, without regard to the income reduction formula.

Awards Not Based on Income

The following awards are for a fixed amount:

• Scholarships for Academic Excellence
• Regents Award for Children of Deceased or Disabled Veterans (CV) - $450 annual award
• Robert C. Byrd Honors Scholarship $1,500 annual award (no new awards granted for 2011-12; prior recipients will not receive payments; no awards for 2012-13)
• New York Lottery Leaders of Tomorrow Scholarship is a $5,000 scholarship distributed in payments of $625 per semester to one graduating senior from each participating public and private high school in New York State. (no new awards granted for 2012-13; recipients of a prior LOT Scholarship will continue to receive any unpaid balance subject to the original requirements)

The following award cannot exceed tuition charges:

• Veterans Tuition Award (VA)
  • For full-time study, a recipient shall receive an award of up to the full cost of undergraduate tuition for New York state residents at the State University of New York, or actual tuition charged, whichever is less. Full-time study is defined as twelve or more credits per semester (or the equivalent) at a degree-granting institution, or twenty-four or more hours per week in a vocational training program.
  • For part-time study, awards will be prorated by credit hour. Part-time study is defined as at least three but fewer than twelve credits per semester (or the equivalent) at a degree-granting institution, or six to twenty-three hours per week in a vocational training program.

Income-based Awards

In addition to the TAP program, HESC also bases the following awards on income: 

• Regents Professional Opportunity Scholarship (PO)- $5,000 maximum annual award but cannot exceed cost of attendance - sunset by statutory authorization (no new awards granted; prior recipients will not receive payments)

NOTE: The maximum award is reduced by $1 for every $4 of total family income exceeding the established minimum income figure for the economically disadvantaged. 

Other Awards

• Memorial Scholarship for Families of Deceased Firefighters, Volunteer Firefighters, Police Officers, Peace Officers and Emergency Medical Service Workers annual award to cover tuition and non-tuition costs of attending college- see Memorial Scholarship Guidelines, Appendix E.
• World Trade Center Memorial Scholarship - guarantees access to a college education for the families and financial dependents of innocent victims who died or were severely and permanently disabled as a result of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States of America and the resulting rescue and recovery efforts.
• Flight 587 Memorial Scholarship - guarantee access to a college education for the families and financial dependents of victims of the crash of American Airlines Flight 587 on November 12, 2001.
• Flight 3407 Memorial Scholarship - guarantee access to a college education for the families and financial dependents of individuals killed as a direct result of the crash of Continental Airlines Flight 3407 on February 12, 2009.
• Senator Patricia K. McGee Nursing Faculty Scholarship - is a competitive award made to licensed nurses who have been accepted in a master’s nursing program at an accredited nursing school in New York State. Applicants agree to become nursing faculty and agree to serve as a teacher in a facility in New York State.
• Military Service Recognition Scholarship - provides financial aid to children, spouses and financial dependents of members of the armed forces of the United States or of a state organized militia who, at any time on or after Aug. 2, 1990, while a New York State resident, died or became severely and permanently disabled while engaged in hostilities or training for hostilities. For study in New York State.
• NYS Math & Science Teaching Incentive Scholarship - provides grants to eligible full-time undergraduate or graduate students in approved programs that lead to math or science teaching careers in secondary education.
• Aid for Part-Time Study (APTS) - maximum annual award of $2,000 but cannot exceed tuition. 

Additional information on award calculation for these programs is in Chapter 1. 

Regular Academic Year

A regular academic year consists of fall and spring for a semester-based calendar and (typically) fall, winter, and spring for a trimester-based calendar. To determine the values of a term award, divide the annual award by the number of terms in the regular academic year: two terms on a semester calendar, three terms on a trimester calendar.

Accelerated Awards

If a student attends the same institution for an additional term of study beyond the regular program for the regular academic year, an additional term award is possible for students who meet the eligibility requirements. See 2.07 d. for “Academic Calendar” in Chapter 2.

Awards for Summer Study

HESC may grant eligible students a term award for summer study. For award purposes, HESC adds all summer study terms together to form a single summer term. 

When the summer term is part of the regular academic year, the term must meet term length requirements for the institution's term type (15 weeks/100 days for semester-based; 10 weeks for trimester-based). HESC pays full-time study awards in a summer term on the same term basis as it does for a term during the regular academic year (semester or trimester). HESC treats full-time summer study the same way it treats any other term. 

When the summer term is not part of the regular academic year, the term is considered an accelerated term.  Students who are full-time at any point during the regular academic year must meet accelerated study requirements to be eligible for a payment.  HESC may grant awards for full or half-time (6-11 credits) study beyond the regular program of study for the academic year. However, students must earn 24 credits during the regular academic year and be in full-time attendance during the preceding spring term to receive payment. Per the accelerated study statute, combined summer sessions may be less than the term length requirement for the institution’s term type. 

True part-time students (part-time during terms in the regular academic year) do not need to meet accelerated study requirements and may receive a summer award as long as they do not exceed their annual award, payment points, and the summer term meets term length requirements for the institution's term type, per statute governing PT TAP and full-time and part-time study. Part-time TAP students may receive awards for 3-11 credits (4-7 trimester/quarter). Part-time TAP awards are calculated based on reported tuition and reported credits applicable to the student’s program of study.

HESC calculates half-time awards for accelerated summer study in the following manner:

• Undergraduate Awards. If the tuition charge is less than half the maximum term award, HESC determines the award amount by subtracting half the term income reduction from the tuition charge as reported by the institution. If the tuition charge is equal to or greater than half the maximum term award, the award is equal to half of the term award.
• Graduate Awards. Some full-time graduate scholarships allow for an accelerated study payment. The award is equal to half the term award.

HESC verifies certain information that applicants submit for state student financial aid. 

Income Verification Program (IVP)
HESC verifies income information that students provided for all family members on TAP, Excelsior, and Enhanced Tuition Award (ETA) applications with the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance. For TAP, HESC compares the net taxable income and, if applicable, the pension income the applicant and, if applicable, the applicant's spouse and parents report on the form, with records of the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance (T&F).  For Excelsior and ETA, HESC compares the Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) reported with T&F records.

Income Verification Results

• Unchanged Awards. (No income discrepancy.) If the income information on the application and the tax return is comparable, no action is required. Neither the school nor the applicants receives additional notification. 
• Increased Awards. If the total income on applicants' and/or applicants’ family’s tax return(s) is less than that reported on the application, HESC increases the award where applicable. HESC sends an award notification to students of the increase. 
  Decreased Awards. If the total income on applicants' and/or applicant’s family’s tax return(s) is greater than that reported on the application, HESC decreases the award, where applicable. HESC notifies students of the reduced award. HESC offers students the opportunity to appeal the determination. 

Student Appeals. Students may appeal HESC's decrease in award determination if they believe HESC made an error. Students seeking to appeal must contact HESC in writing within 45 days of notification. The individual - student, spouse, or parent - whose income is being questioned must sign the appeal letter. Applicants should provide additional supporting documentation with the appeal. Applicants may also submit appeals to the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance for further review. After HESC completes the review process, HESC will notify the student of the result of the appeal. If HESC is adjusting an award as a result of the appeal, HESC will send a new award notification to the student. 

Institutional Responsibilities. Ordinarily, HESC will show an award adjusted as a result of income verification on a Payment Roster. The institution is responsible for promptly reviewing and taking appropriate action to recover any excess funds that may have been disbursed to students before HESC verified their income. 

Verification of Other Family Members Enrolled in Postsecondary Education

If an applicant claims an income adjustment for having another family member(s) in college, HESC’s Verification of Income Adjustment Claim (VIAC) unit will verify the enrollment of the family member(s). Other family members/siblings must reside in the same house under the same address to be considered for VIAC. HESC initially makes the income adjustment based on the applicant's reported information on the application.  If HESC is not able to verify full-time enrollment of the family member(s), the income adjustment will be rescinded, and the award will be reduced, if applicable. 

Beginning in the fall and continuing throughout the academic year, HESC attempts to verify enrollment of other family members through a match with HESC’s processing records. In many instances, HESC can verify enrollment through this match process. However, if the match is unsuccessful, HESC sends a letter to the applicant requesting confirmation of full-time attendance (12 credits per semester, 8 credits per trimester, or the equivalent) and matriculation of the other family member(s). This letter must be signed and returned to HESC for the applicant to remain eligible for the income adjustment. If the applicant fails to return the letter by the designated deadline, HESC rescinds the income adjustment and recalculates the applicant’s award. An applicant whose award has been recalculated can appeal the action by providing documentation confirming the other family member’s full-time enrollment and matriculation. The documentation required for reinstatement of the income adjustment must come from the Registrar’s Office of the other family member’s institution. The applicant must arrange to have that office verify, through official certification or transcript of notification of grades, the full-time enrollment and matriculation of the other family member.

College administrators can check verification information in the student record on the G&S web pages. This verification is not carried over through a multi-year process.  Applicants must submit verification each year.

NOTE: Any documentation submitted should be addressed to the HESC-VIAC Unit and include the applicant’s name and social security number, and college ID. 

The state's grant and scholarship programs are intended to help students meet educational costs. Accordingly, HESC expects institutions participating in these programs to implement institutional policies and procedures to assist in delivering financial aid benefits to students. 

Required Deferment of Tuition  

HESC requires schools to defer term tuition charges in an amount equal to the award when students present a valid award notification for a TAP or other state award for that term, or if the student's award appears on an institution payment roster for that term. 

Exceptions: Schools are not required to defer tuition based on an award notification or payment roster when:

• the institution reasonably believes the student may be ineligible for the award or that the award amount may be reduced; or
• the institution is waiting for the student to complete or correct financial aid forms that could affect the student's eligibility for an award or the award amount; or the institution is waiting for income verification

Suggested Deferment of Tuition  

In the absence of an award notification, schools are encouraged to defer term tuition charges:

• when the institution can determine that the student is eligible for an award for the term and the amount of the award by using HESC's services, or
• by referring to a student status list

Crediting of Awards  

HESC requires schools to credit student accounts with any state student financial aid payments or prepayments within seven calendar days of when the student incurred a full tuition liability for the term, or within seven days of when the school receives such payment or prepayment check, whichever is later. 

The method of crediting student accounts may vary depending on institutional accounting procedures. However, the crediting date, as described above, initiates a time frame for the institution to disburse any state financial aid funds due the student.

Disbursement of Funds  

The institution should disburse any state student financial aid awards owed to the student as soon as possible, but not more than 45 days after the institution has credited the award to the student's account. 

Exceptions: Instead of disbursing funds, schools may credit them toward a future term if the student authorizes the credit in writing. Schools may also credit state student financial aid payments toward charges the student has incurred for a future term. That term must already be underway when the school receives the payment, and the balance for that term must exceed the amount deferred for that term based on anticipated receipt of a state award.

By submitting an application for payment, HESC assumes students want to receive state awards for which they have been approved. 

Students may refuse an award for any reason, provided they notify the school before being certified as eligible for the award. Students must also make appropriate financial arrangements with the school if the school deferred charges pending receipt of the award. Once the school certifies a student's eligibility for an award, HESC considers the student to have accepted the award for that term. As such, students may not refuse the award after they've been certified.

HESC makes these cumulative Student Status Listings (SSL) available on a weekly or monthly (typically for the prior year) basis to all schools participating in the state's grant and scholarship programs. The lists include all students for whom HESC has processed an award, HESC has denied an award, or whom HESC has placed in pending status awaiting additional information. Note, students pending IVP will not be on the SSL. The lists should aid school personnel in granting tuition deferments, advising students of their TAP application status, and counseling students who have failed to respond to HESC's requests for additional information.

The SSL is available in two formats:

• HE8392 – Student Status Listing (Full record – student ID version): provides student award and payment information to schools. This file is available each week.
• HE8592 – Student Status Listing (Comprehensive records – student ID version): provides student award and payment information to schools from the TAP system and the Consolidated Scholarship (CSR) system. The SSL Comprehensive Records file contains two data record types. The Demographic (Demo) record and the Financial Aid Program (FAP) record. A student will always have only one Demo record. A student will have at least one FAP record and may have several FAP records. This file is available each week.

Payment Applications

To receive TAP or other state awards or scholarships, the student must submit an application postmarked on or before June 30 of the academic year for which assistance is sought.

College Code Changes  

Changes to college codes, whether the student or institution submits, must be submitted by closeout, for payment purposes, of the academic year for which the change is being made.  

Other Changes  

Other changes must be submitted by June 30 of the academic year for which assistance is being sought, or within 45 days of issuance of an award approval or denial notice by HESC, whichever is later. Students whose applications are denied for not responding within 45 days to HESC's request for additional information must respond by June 30 to have HESC review the application again. The 45-day provision does not apply to denials for failing to apply by June 30. 

HESC will deny awards to students who fail to submit a timely application or response.