Important Updates on FAFSA and NYS TAP for the 2025–26 Academic Year

Published

Dear Colleagues,

This morning, the U.S. Department of Education announced the expanded beta access to the 2025–26 academic year FAFSA for the general public.

While the FAFSA is now widely available, HESC remains on target to open the 2025-26 New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) on December 1, 2024. Students who submit the FAFSA prior to the TAP opening will receive notification and guidance from HESC to complete the NYS TAP application once it becomes available.

From now until December 1, the NYS TAP application link provided at the end of the FAFSA will direct students to the HESC TAP program page, where they can sign up to receive a text message or email alert when the TAP application becomes available. Starting on December 1, this same link will take students directly to the 2025-26 TAP application.

We encourage you to share this information with your students and colleagues to ensure everyone is aware of these key updates and resources.

Thank you for your partnership and continued commitment to supporting NYS students and families.

Sincerely,

New York State Higher Education Services Corporation