Institutional Information

To participate in NYS-sponsored grant and scholarship programs, an eligible institution must sign a Program Participation Agreement (Agreement). The Agreement shall continue in full force and effect until either party terminates the Agreement.

The Agreement is intended to assure institutions that state-sponsored financial aid programs will be administered consistently with the statutes and regulations governing them. It lists several institutional obligations and dictates that failure to comply with the terms of the Agreement can lead to the termination of the institution's participation in these programs.

HESC has established the Electronic Financial Aid Network (EFAN) to administer State financial aid through automation. The network consists of various electronic services, including the ability to:

• Inquire into the grants and scholarships databases
• Submit college code and other information changes to student records
• Receive and/or submit other data relating to student eligibility certification for TAP and other state awards
• Estimate TAP awards
• Access other electronic services and reports

Colleges and other postsecondary institutions participating in NYS-sponsored student aid programs are responsible for ensuring that program funds entrusted to their care are used consistent with the legislative purpose in establishing these programs. Institutions also must ensure the funds are used consistent with applicable regulations promulgated by the State Education Department, HESC, and, where applicable, other state and federal agencies governing the administration of these programs.

To fulfill this responsibility, the institution's chief executive officer designates a staff member to serve as certifying officer. The institution's chief executive officer may change who is designated as certifying officer at any time by notifying HESC’s Information Protection Office and Grants & Scholarships Office in writing. 

Responsibilities of the Certifying Officer
As the designated representative of the educational institution, the certifying officer is specifically responsible for:

• Attesting to the accuracy of information submitted to HESC on student eligibility or ineligibility for an award
• Training and monitoring the activities of other institutional personnel directly involved in certifying student awards
• Providing policy guidance to other institutional personnel in activities related to certifying student awards (for example, faculty or other academic personnel who are responsible for determining good academic standing, etc.)
• Ensuring that certification activities are carried out in a prompt and timely manner to facilitate delivering awards to students and returning overpayments to HESC
• Ensuring automated certification systems are accurate and have been adequately tested as required by the EFAN Agreement
• Ensuring college contact information recorded for your institution is current* 

*Contact information may be updated by the TAP Certifying Officer anytime staff changes occur, except for CEO or college president data. TAP Certifying Officers should update and submit changes (especially email addresses) for all staff/roles listed in the college profile. Requests to change CEO or college president data should be sent to [email protected]. Important: Notify HESC when staff are no longer authorized to access your college or student data on HESCWeb.

The types of postsecondary institutions listed below are eligible to offer programs of study that are approved by the NYS Commissioner of Education or, where applicable, by the NYS Department of Health to receive state-sponsored scholarships and awards. 

• Collegiate Institutions 
  Collegiate institutions are those authorized by the NYS Education Department to offer a program of study leading to a degree or to a diploma, or certificate that is creditable toward a degree that the institution offers.
• Non-collegiate Institutions 
  Study and training programs offered by a hospital school, a community college, a unit of the state university of New York, a unit of the city university of New York, or an institution chartered by the regents or by the legislature for the purpose of granting degrees, leading to licensure as a professional registered or practical nurse or to certification in an area of medical or health technology. 
• Registered Private Business Schools
  Institutions authorized by the NYS Education Department to offer non-degree two-year business programs that are a minimum of 1,440 clock hours in duration and require more than 12 calendar months to complete.

One-year Requirement

As of April 1, 1996, schools must be approved and operating in NYS for at least one year to be eligible to participate in state-funded student aid programs. 

The academic year begins July 1 through the following June 30. Summer is considered the first term of the academic year for State-administered financial aid award payment purposes. A summer term may begin before July 1, and a spring term may end after June 30. Term sequence is summer, fall, spring, or summer, fall, winter, spring. 

Term refers to the instruction period within the academic year, including any time allocated for examinations. It includes semesters and trimesters. All awards administered by HESC are payable on a term basis. The institution is responsible for ensuring the term length meets the required number of weeks as indicated below. 

The academic calendar is how terms are arranged in an academic year for providing instruction, evaluating good academic standing, and calculating tuition liability and financial aid awards. The following types of term arrangements are used:

• Semester
  The regular academic year consists of two terms, each lasting at least 15 weeks/100 days. Typically, there are fall and spring terms included in an academic calendar. A summer term or multiple summer sessions may also be offered. Summer terms are considered accelerated terms, and students need to meet accelerated study requirements to receive a payment above and beyond the regular academic year. Winter terms are not eligible for State administered financial aid programs.
• Trimester/Quarter
  The regular academic year consists of three terms, each lasting at least 10 weeks. Typically, there is a fall, winter, and spring term included in an academic calendar. A summer term or multiple summer sessions may also be offered. Summer terms are considered accelerated terms, and students need to meet accelerated study requirements to receive a payment above and beyond the regular academic year.

• Summer Term
  If an institution offers a summer term, the term type for the summer session will be the term type by which the school operates during the regular academic year. For example, at a semester-based institution, the summer term will be considered a semester.

  If an institution has more than one summer session, sessions are combined to form a single term for award payment purposes. 

  PT TAP for a summer term is allowed for true part-time students (students enrolled part-time in Fall and Spring) in terms that are 15 weeks/100 days in length combined at a semester-based college (10 weeks combined at a trimester/quarter-based college). Currently, the associated regulations do not have the same term flexibility as with accelerated study (see “d. Accelerated Study). Eligible part-time students may receive up to the total of an annual award (12 payment points) for the full academic year. A student who is full-time for any term during the regular academic year must meet accelerated study requirements for a summer payment.

• Accelerated Study 
  Beginning in academic year 2006-07 and thereafter, to be eligible for a full-time or half-time accelerated TAP payment, students must be enrolled full-time in the prior term and must have earned 24 semester hour credits or the equivalent in the prior two semesters or the equivalent. The 24 semester hours must be credits earned at the same institution and applicable to the student’s program of study. Transfer credits cannot be used to meet this requirement. The equivalent of three credits in non-credit remedial hours in each semester (2 credit equivalents per trimester) can be included to meet the 24-prior-credit requirement. The student must meet the 24-credit prior study requirement each time an accelerated award is sought. 

  At institutions where the summer term is not part of the regular academic year (SUNY, CUNY, and most independent colleges and universities), the summer term is always the accelerated term. At schools that have continuous enrollment, and the regular calendar allows students to attend three semesters or four quarters/trimesters in a calendar year, the accelerated term is the third semester or fourth quarter/trimester.  For accelerated study, an institution may certify eligible students for summer terms that are shorter than 15 weeks, whether it be one term shorter than 15 weeks, or multiple sessions that together are shorter than 15 weeks.

All general awards that require full-time enrollment are eligible for accelerated study: 

• Tuition assistance program (TAP)  
• Regents' awards for children of deceased and disabled veterans 
• Regents' awards for children of deceased police officers, peace officers, firefighters, and volunteer firefighters Memorial scholarships for children, spouses, and financial dependents of deceased firefighters, volunteer firefighters, police officers, peace officers, and emergency medical service workers 
• World Trade Center Memorial scholarships (WTC)
• Military Enhanced Recognition, Incentive, and Tribute ("MERIT") scholarships 
• Scholarships for Academic Excellence (SAE) 
• Flight 3407
• Flight 587

Grant and scholarship programs administered by HESC provide prorated annual awards that are paid on a term basis. Term payments are based on the institution's academic calendar and are calculated as follows:

Term Payments

Academic Calendar

Semester

1/2 annual award

Trimester

1/3 annual award

A student's annual TAP award must be prorated and paid by term. Institutions offering programs in which students are eligible for TAP awards must designate the type of term structure on which the program is organized. This requirement applies to degree-granting and non-degree-granting institutions. 

Regulations of the State Education Department require that non-degree, registered private business schools must organize their academic calendars on either a "semester" basis, which consists of academic periods of 15 to 18 weeks in duration; or on trimester basis, which consists of academic periods of at least 10 weeks but less than 15 weeks in duration. These two basic term types are subject to further adjustment depending on whether the State Education Department has determined the program of study to be accelerated or non-accelerated. Accordingly, HESC has developed and will assign the following payment term types for award purposes:

Payment Term Type I:

• Regular school year consists of two terms of 15 weeks or more.
• The program is designated as "accelerated" by the State Education Department, and a third term is offered.
• The annual award is divided by two to arrive at the amount of the term payment:
• An additional term payment may be paid for accelerated study
• The maximum amount a student could receive in a year would consist of the annual award for two terms, plus an additional term award may be paid for the accelerated term. Students must meet accelerated study requirements to be eligible for the accelerated term.

Payment Term Type II:

• Regular school year consists of three terms of 15 weeks or more.
• The program is designated by the State Education Department as "non-accelerated".
• The annual award is divided by three to arrive at the amount of the term payment:
• The maximum amount a student could receive in a year would consist of the annual award over three terms.

Payment Term Type III:

• Regular school year consists of three terms of 10 weeks or more.
• The program is designated as "accelerated" by the State Education Department and may include a fourth term of study. Students must meet accelerated study requirements to be eligible for the accelerated term.
• The annual award is divided by three to arrive at the amount of the term payment:
• An additional term payment may be paid for accelerated study.
• The maximum amount a student could receive in a year would consist of the annual award for three terms, plus an additional term award for the accelerated term.

Payment Term Start Dates
Programs organized on a clock-hour basis and offered at registered business schools frequently have several start dates. That is, groups of students may begin a program several times during the year, and these start dates may or may not coincide with the start of a traditionally organized term. 

The following charts illustrate the monthly parameters that will be used to determine a student's first payment term (Summer, Fall, Winter, or Spring). Subsequent payment terms follow in sequence from the first payment term for continuing students. 

Range of Term Starting Dates Used to Determine Student's 1st Payment Term

Payment Term Types I and II (15 weeks or more)

Summer

Fall

Spring

May 1 - August 31

September 1 - December 31

January 1 - April 30

Range of Term Starting Dates Used to Determine Student's 1st Payment Term

Payment Term Type III (10 - 14 weeks)

Summer

Fall

Winter

Spring

May 1 - August 31

August 1 - October 31

November 1 - January 31

February 1 - April 30

The college code is a unique four-digit number that identifies a particular institution, the level of study, undergraduate or graduate, or a particular program of study within an institution. HESC's Grants & Scholarships division assigns the college code when an institution is approved for participation in New York State's grant and scholarship programs. The logic behind the college code affects how HESC calculates the student's award, and it determines where HESC will send the student's award. 

Whenever possible, HESC assigns a single college code to a particular institution. In some instances, different codes may be required for the same institution to identify branch campuses, different levels of study, distinct academic disciplines, or programs offered on a different term structure. 

For institutions offering undergraduate and graduate programs, the undergraduate and graduate codes are indicated on HESC's School Code List. If the student reports being enrolled at the graduate level on the application, that institution's graduate code number is automatically selected when HESC processes the application. When an institution offers several distinct graduate-level programs, it is often necessary to assign separate graduate-level college codes for each program and list them separately. 

The appropriate college code is derived from information provided on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The college code for the first NYS school listed on the FAFSA will be used on the TAP application. A complete TAP college code list is available on HESC's Website for students who want to change their college code. Students can make changes to their college code at Student Access, by logging in using their HESCPIN. 

HESC maintains an electronic record, viewable on HESC's secure G&S Web pages, for all institutions participating in the state's grant and scholarship programs. These records constitute the college file, which HESC updates each academic year.

a. Description
Information in the college file includes the following and is specific to the institution’s State college code:

• Federal college and campus code
• College name and address, level of study, and remedial study code
• Institution type and sector
• Degree or non-degree granting
• Payment voucher information
• File transfer methods
• Term information, including academic calendar, term type. Start add/drop and end dates (colleges must ensure the term length meets the required term type)
• Tuition charges and other costs of attendance, indicated by term
• Grant and scholarship programs for which the institution is approved
• Certifying officer and other college contacts

The information in the college file is used to:

• calculate student awards and generate award notifications
• produce payment rosters and other reports for the institution
• produce institutional correspondence lists

b. College Survey
Institutions are notified each spring that they must update the College Survey, located on the secure G&S Web pages. The survey must be completed by the designated due date provided in the notification. The College Survey displays the most recent institutional information contained in the college file. The institution’s TAP Certifying Officer is required to view the data displayed and update information, e.g., tuition charges, academic calendars, contacts, etc., for the coming academic year. 

The TAP Payment Survey can be updated only by TAP Certifying Officers. Other authorized staff can view the College File but cannot update the information. 

In many instances, college costs affect the award calculation under the various grant and scholarship programs HESC administers. As a result, it is particularly important that the institution provide HESC with accurate cost information.

a. Tuition

HESC uses the institution's tuition charge, prorated by term, to calculate TAP and STAP and other awards. It is also an element in the student budget used to calculate cost of attendance.

For award payment purposes, HESC defines tuition as the charge levied by the institution for the instructional services provided to the student or for the evaluation and supervision of related academic activity, which is required as an integral part of the student's program of study. It does not include any educational or administrative fees.

b. SUNY College Fee

The college fee the State University of New York levied pursuant to an April 1, 1964, financing agreement with the New York State Dormitory Authority is considered a component of tuition for TAP or STAP certification. HESC adds it to the tuition charge and calculates student awards based on this combined charge.

c. Nonresident Tuition at Public Colleges

Generally, students who attend New York State public colleges and are charged non-resident tuition are not eligible for TAP or other state awards. However, students subject to non-resident tuition charges can be eligible for TAP and other state awards if they otherwise meet New York State residency requirements for student aid but the public college is required by state law to charge non-resident tuition. The institution may certify these students for a TAP award based on the non-resident tuition charge. However, if the student is subject to non-resident tuition as a result of negligence (for example, if an otherwise eligible student, enrolled at a community college, neglects to obtain a county certificate of residence), the school can only certify the student for a TAP award based on resident tuition charges.

d. Calculating Term Tuition Charges

HESC requires institutions participating in the state grant and scholarship programs to report term tuition charges. The methods institutions use to calculate term tuition charges are:

Program Tuition. If a student contract specifies the tuition for an entire program of study and the total amount of study to be provided, the term tuition is the total tuition for the program divided by the number of terms required to complete the program of study.

Annual Tuition. If the institution levies an annual tuition charge without regard to credits or terms, the term tuition charge is the annual tuition charge divided by the number of terms in the regular academic year for which attendance is normally expected or required.

Term Tuition. If the institution levies a tuition charge per term for a range of credits, the term tuition charge is this amount plus any additional charge for credits exceeding the specified range.

Per Credit Tuition. If the institution charges tuition on a per-credit basis, the term tuition is the per-credit tuition charge multiplied by the number of credits for which the student has registered.

e. Cost of Attendance
Several scholarship and fellowship programs that HESC administers (World Trade Center, Memorial, MERIT, etc.) require using cost of attendance (COA) to determine the award amount. For scholarship payment, the COA consists of the cost per academic year for tuition, required educational fees, books, transportation, food, and housing. The COA allowances for most scholarships are equal to the average cost of attendance charged to a NYS resident student at a State-operated SUNY college or the actual amount, whichever is less. HESC updates the approved educational expenses each academic year to be used when certifying COA scholarships.  See 2025-26 Cost of Attendance for Scholarship for current guidance.

Please see specific award information for each program in Chapter One.

The Regulations of the Commissioner of Education require students to maintain good academic standing to remain eligible for state-sponsored financial aid. The regulations also specify that good academic standing requires the student to pursue a program of study as defined in regulations and make satisfactory academic progress toward a degree according to standards developed by the Commissioner and found in NYS Education Law §665. The institution must also develop a policy outlining the circumstances under which it may waive good academic standing requirements for students who submit a request for a one-time waiver of good academic standing or for a C-average waiver. 

A discussion of the good academic standing requirements to determine student eligibility for an award is discussed in Chapter 3.

More specific information on good academic standing is in Bulletin No. 81-12, "Revised Guidelines for Implementation of Regulations Concerning Program Pursuit and Satisfactory Academic Progress," issued by the State Education Department in 1981, located in Appendix C. Topic-specific information on the various components of good academic standing can also be found in HESC’s TAP Coach.

HESC may grant awards to students who enroll in interinstitutional programs of study in which they matriculate at one (home) TAP-eligible institution in NYS but attend courses at another (cooperating) TAP-eligible institution in NYS. Award eligibility is subject to all the following:

• The student matriculates in an approved program at the home institution
• The home institution grants prior approval for such study
• All academic work successfully completed at the cooperating institution is creditable toward the student’s degree program or program of study at the home institution.

Eligibility and award amounts are based on the tuition of both schools. When the student is taking courses at two institutions, the home school combines tuition and credit hours from both institutions when assessing eligibility. Certification is based on the total credit hours and tuition liability. Certification is subject to the following conditions:

• Credit hours earned (transferred) at the cooperating institution must be creditable toward the student’s program of study at the home institution
• Only tuition charges for transferable and creditable hours may be aggregated to arrive at a total tuition charge, and the total tuition charge may exceed the home institution's standard per-term tuition charge
• If the cooperating institution is out-of-state, all tuition and instructional fees must be paid to the NYS institution as described in the next section

The Home institution of matriculation shall certify to the Corporation the student's eligibility to receive an award.

Generally, NYS-administered financial aid awards for study at an out-of-state institution are prohibited. However, exceptions are made in the following circumstance: 

Interinstitutional Out-of-State Study. If the cooperating institution is outside of New York State, the institution must meet all the previously described criteria for interinstitutional programs of study. In addition, the out-of-state program must be an integral part of the curriculum at the New York State institution. All tuition and instructional fees are to be paid to the New York State institution. The student is ineligible if the home institution merely performs the service of transmitting funds from the student to the out-of-state institution. Tuition must be payable to the New York State school and received by it in the same manner as tuition charged for any other program. If the student pays any tuition or educational fees to the out-of-state school, the presumption is that it is the institution of actual enrollment.