Appendix K - Part-time TAP Certification Instructions

A student must:

• Have a minimum cumulative "C" average;
• Starting in the 2025-26 academic year and thereafter, be taking at least three (3), but fewer than twelve (12) credits per semester (at least two (2), but fewer than eight (8) credits per trimester/quarter).
• Must meet all other TAP eligibility requirements. See Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) | HESC for more information,

Note: 

• For Pursuit of Program (POP) a student must earn a grade in a percentage of the minimum courseload required.  For a full-time student, the minimum courseload is 12 credits, for a part-time student, the minimum courseload is three credits. Since course cannot be split to a percentage of the minimum of three credits, the student must earn a letter grade in three credits regardless of the percentage placement.
• For Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) a PT TAP recipient has two terms to meet the placement on the SAP chart*.  Students taking only three credits per term should be advised they will be at risk of not meeting SAP requirements as they progress through the SAP chart.  As such students should increase their courseload in their program of study to ensure they maintain good academic standing.
• The requirement to  be a first-time freshman in the 2006-07 academic year or thereafter was eliminated starting in the 2025-26 year and thereafter)

The requirement to be taking at least six (6), per semester (at least four (4), was eliminated starting in the 2025-26 year and thereafter 

*An ADA PT TAP student will have more than two terms to meet SAP requirements.  See TAP Coach: ADA Part-time TAP | HESC for more information.

Students appearing on a TAP Payment Roster are calculated with a full-time TAP award. PT-TAP awards are recalculated after a school identifies part-time students when certifying its roster.
 

Full-time TAP Awards placed on a TAP Payment Roster that are subsequently certified for PT-TAP must meet the same eligibility requirements as a full-time TAP award. For detailed eligibility and certification instructions refer to Chapter 5: Certification Procedures.

Certification via HescWeb
The HescWeb screens for STUDENT RECORD MAINTENANCE, VIEW/SUBMIT PENDING CERTIFICATION, and VIEW/ CORRECT STUDENT CERTIFICATION have been modified to allow the reporting of the number of credits for part-time study. The Enrollment Status field drop down list provides valid credits 

The full-time tuition on the roster must be changed to reflect the student’s actual tuition liability when certifying PT-TAP awards or when recertifying a student previously certified as part-time. The PT-TAP award is calculated using the student's part-time tuition charge and the number of credits.

• Enter the actual part-time tuition in the Tuition field.
• Enter the number of credits taken in the ENROLLMENT STATUS field. Half credits should be rounded down.

Certification via File Transfer (using HESC’s EFAN layout available on HescWeb):

• Enter the actual tuition liability in the TUITION field (35/6,2)
• Enter the number of credits in the Enrollment Status field (33/2). Valid entries for semester schools: 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, and 11. Valid entries for trimester/quarter schools: 04, 05, 06, and 07.

Certification Codes
Certification codes 1 through 3 are valid codes used when certifying a part-time award. Do not use certification code 5 (Not full-time), as it is a decertification code and will not result in an award.

Once the certification is submitted, HESC will calculate the PT-TAP award based on the reported credits and the student’s actual tuition liability. The Remittance Advice and Student Status List will reflect the recalculated award. 

A PT-TAP award cannot exceed tuition charges.

Semester Schools
Partial payment will be made for students taking 3-11 credits as indicated in the charts below:

Trimester Schools
Partial payment will be made for students taking 3-7 credits as shown below:

For questions regarding information included in Appendix K, please email [email protected].