New York State Aid

New! Expansion of Part-Time TAP Eligibility:

More than 30,000 CUNY students are newly eligible for TAP — the Tuition Assistance Program! If you are a part-time student taking 6 to 11 credits, you may be eligible — learn more. System updates to follow.

Tuition Assistance Program

New York State's Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) provides grants to students to assist them in paying tuition. The TAP program is administered by the NY State Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC).

Regulations of both the Higher Education Services Corporation state (TAP/APTS) and federal programs require regular class participation. Financial aid regulations also require that students make satisfactory progress toward a degree. Students should be aware that all financial assistance awards are subject to student compliance with federal, state, and/or college regulations concerning satisfactory academic progress and standing. Students dropping courses should refer to the financial aid guidelines for eligibility. Students on probation who make satisfactory progress may continue to be eligible for financial aid. All state undergraduate financial aid requires that the courses for which student has registered are required for the bachelor's degree. Minimum standards of satisfactory progress for financial aid are indicated below. Any student receiving state aid must also be a high school graduate, or receive the equivalent of a high school certificate, or receive a passing grade on a federally-approved examination if receiving a State-sponsored award for the first time in the 1996-97 academic year.

To receive each TAP payment:

  • Credits counted must meet degree requirements as described in the Bulletin;
  • You must have completed a specific number of credits in the previous semester;
  • You must have accumulated a specific number of credits towards your degree;
  • You must maintain a specific minimum GPA (grade point average);
  • You must have declared a major by the time you complete 60 credits. (If you are repeating a course in order to earn the "C" required for your major, your major must be noted in your academic records even if you have not yet completed 61 credits.)

Continuing Students

Before being certified for this payment Students must have accrued
at least this many credits
With at least this grade point average
1st 0 0
2nd 6 1.5
3rd 15 1.8
4th 27 1.8
5th 39 2.0
6th 51 2.0
7th 66 2.0
8th 81 2.0
9th 96 2.0
10th 111 2.0

Repeated Courses

Repeated courses in which you have already received a passing grade cannot be included in meeting the TAP full-time study requirement. Repeated courses may be counted toward the full-time study requirement if:

  1. You repeat a course that you have previously failed;
  2. You repeat a course for additional credit;
  3. You received a passing grade that is unacceptable in a particular curriculum.

TAP Waivers

You may be granted a waiver of the TAP academic requirements once, as an undergraduate student with the strong expectation that you will meet all requirements in the future. Contact the Financial Aid Office for more information about the procedure for applying for a waiver.

Additional information about the New York States Tuition Assistance Program can be found on CUNY's New York State Grants website.