State Programs - School Code (TAP): 1403

• Part-Time TAP Program (PTAP)
• Academic Requirements for State Aid (TAP)
• Effects of withdrawing on your State Aid (TAP)
• Tuition Assistance Program (TAP)
• Aid for Part-Time Study (APTS)
• Child of Veteran Award
• Child of Deceased Police Officer / Firefighter Award
• Nursing Scholarships
• Persian Gulf Veterans Tuition Award
• Vietnam Veterans Tuition Award

State Programs http://www.hesc.com

Tuition Assistance Program or TAP online application https://www.tapweb.org/totw/

Part-Time TAP Program  (PTAP)

A student is eligible for the CUNY Part-Time TAP (PTAP) if  he/she meets the following criteria:

• satisfies all program requirements for Tuition Assistance Program awards except the full-time attendance requirement;
• enrolled as a first time freshman at CUNY during the 1998-1999 academic year or thereafter;
• earned at least twenty-four credits at The City University of New York by the time of the receipt of the award;
•  has a cumulative grade-point average of at least 2.00; and
• is enrolled for at least six but less than twelve semester hours, or the equivalent, in an approved undergraduate degree program.
• Contact the Office of Student Financial Services to see if you qualify.

Academic Requirements for State Aid (TAP)

• Students must be registered as full-time students. In the Schedule of Classes, there is a chart called, "Is Your Program Full-Time?" Students should check each semester at registration to be sure they are registering for a full-time program.  The major must be declared the first semester when the student registers.
  
• Students must be making satisfactory academic progress toward their degree. In each semester that they wish to receive an award, they must meet the following standards:
  
  •  Successfully pass a specified number of credits (see chart below), and
    
  • Achieve a grade point average at a specified minimum level (see chart below).
    
• Students must pursue their courses at a specified level of completion. Completion means receiving any LaGuardia grade except WA, W or WU (grades of R and F are acceptable). Students complete their courses at the rate shown below.

In addition to the academic requirements described, they must also meet certain residency requirements, citizenship requirements, and financial program criteria. For a full explanation of these regulations, students should contact the Financial Aid Office.

Every semester, all students' records are reviewed in the Office of Student Financial Services to see if they are meeting all of the academic TAP regulations. If they have met all of the conditions outlined above, they will be eligible to receive the next payment. Students who do not meet the criteria will be decertified for the following semester. Students may, however, file an appeal through the Academic Standing Committee. The decision of the committee is final.

TAP ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE CHART

Example: To receive your third payment of TAP in 2006, you must have completed six (6) Equated Credits the semester before and earned a total of six (6) cumulative credits with a minimum GPA of 1.0. If you received your first payment of TAP in 2006-07, you must have earned nine (9) credits and have a minimum GPA of 0.75 to receive your third payment of TAP.

The Academic Performance chart above illustrates the requirements. If you fail to meet these requirements, you become ineligible for your next scheduled TAP payment.

If you received TAP awards at another school prior to attending LaGuardia, you must meet the academic performance for your TAP payments, based on the number of transfer credits you received.

Part-Time TAP
Requirements for eligibility:
1. Student must be a freshman in 2006-07 academic year or thereafter.
2. Student must have earned 12 credits or more in each of two consecutive semesters.
3. Student must have a 2.0 GPA.
4. Courses must count toward your major.
5. Student must be enrolled for less than 12 credits (6cr or less than 12cr).

Effects of withdrawing on your State Aid (TAP)

         College Discovery (CD) - You must maintain a full-time status either in Session I or in a combination of Session and Session  II to remain eligible for C.D. funds in that semester.

          Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) - If you withdraw from part or all of your classes after the first day of Classes but before the last day of the tuition refund period (listed in the Schedule of Classes) TAP will pay only the amount of any tuition liability.  You will use a semester's worth of TAP eligibility and you may lose TAP eligibility for the semester or future semesters depending on TAP standards for Progress  and Pursuit.  (See Chart).

If you withdraw from part or all of your classes after the last day of the tuition refund period (listed in the Schedule of Classes) you will receive the amount of TAP award charged or credited towards tuition for the session,  BUT you may lose TAP eligibility for the next semester or future semesters depending on TAP standards for Progress and Pursuit.

Tuition Assistance Program (TAP)

Application Procedures: Applicants must complete CUNY's TAP application.
The Higher Education Services Corporation determines the applicant's eligibility and mails an award certificate directly to the applicant indicating the amount of the grant.
Selection of Recipients and Allocation of Awards: The Tuition Assistance Program is an entitlement program based on financial need.

The applicant must:

be a New York State resident for at least one year and a U.S. citizen or permanent resident alien;
be enrolled full-time and matriculated at an approved New York State post secondary institution;
if dependent, have a family net income below $80,000; and
be charged a tuition of a least $200.00 per year.

The current definition of independent status is as follows (independent status under the State definition does not necessarily insure independent status for federal aid programs)

• thirty-five years or older on June 30, 2006 or
• twenty-two years or older on June 30, 2006 and not
• a resident in any house, apartment, or building owned or leased by parents for more than 2 consecutive weeks in calendar years 2005, 2006 or 2007, or
• claimed as a dependent by parents on their Federal or State income tax returns for 2004, 2005 and 2006
• under 22 years of age on June 30, 2006 and meeting all other requirements of (2) above, and able to meet at least one of the following requirements:
• both parents deceased, disabled or incompetent
• receiving public assistance other than Aid as a Dependent Child (ADC) or food stamps
  • ward of a court
  • unable to ascertain parents' whereabouts
  • unable, due to an adverse family situation, to submit parents' income
  • married on or before December 31, 2005,

Undergraduate students may generally receive TAP awards for four years of study. Students enrolled in approved five-year programs may receive awards for more than a total of eight years of undergraduate and graduate study.

Award Schedule: The amount of the TAP award is scaled according to level of study, tuition charge, and net taxable income. The income measure is the family's (or independent student's) New York State net taxable income, and (for dependent students) support from divorced or separated parents. This income is further adjusted to reflect other family members enrolled full time in post secondary study.

Aid For Part-Time Study (APTS)

Application Procedures: Application is made through the office of Student Financial Services by completing the APTS application. This program is opened to eligible students who meet income requirements and who are taking 6.0 to 11.5 credits. Since funds are restricted, applicants are advised to apply early.

Child of Veteran Award 

The Child of Veteran Award is a financial aid program for children of veterans who are deceased, disabled, or missing in action as a result of service during such service.

A Child of Veteran awardees can receive up to $450.00 each year without consideration of income or tuition costs. The award may be granted for 4 years of full-time undergraduate study (or for 5 years in an approved 5-year bachelor's degree program).

The combined Child of Veteran Award and TAP award can never exceed the amount of tuition charges.

For further information contact NYSHESC (see TAP application procedures) and request a Child of Veteran Award Supplement.

Child of Deceased Police Officer/Firefighter Award  

The Child of Deceased Police Officer-Firefighter Award is a financial aid program for children of police officers, firefighters, and volunteer firefighters who died as a result of injuries sustained in the line of duty.

A recipient of a Child of a Deceased Police Officer-Firefighter Award can receive up to $450.00 each year without consideration of income or tuition costs. The award may be granted for 4 years of full-time undergraduate study (or for five ears in an approved 5-year bachelor's degree program).

The combined Child of Deceased Police Office-Firefighter award and TAP award can never exceed the amount of tuition charges.

For further information contact NYSHESC (see TAP application procedures) and request a Child of Veteran Award Supplement.

Nursing  Scholarships

These scholarships are awarded by the Senate Education Department (SED) based on national test (ACT, SAT) scores. Scholarships may be granted for 4 years of full-time undergraduate study (or for 5 years in an approved bachelor's degree program.) For further information, visit the office of Student Financial Services.

Persian Gulf Veterans Tuition  Award 

The Persian Gulf Veterans Tuition Award (PGVTA) provides up to $ 1,000 per semester for full-time study or $500 per semester for part-time study to Persian veterans matriculated in an undergraduate (or graduate) degree-granting program in New York State. A student must have served in the U.S. Armed Forces in the hostilities that occurred in the Persian Gulf from August 2, 1990 to the end of hostile as evidenced by receipt of the Southwest Asia Service Medal which was awarded from August 2, 1990 to November 30, 1995.

Application Procedures: Complete a FAFSA, a CUNY TAP application (if full-time) and a Persian Gulf Veterans Tuition Award Supplement.

For further information and applications, contact NYSHESC.

Vietnam Veterans Tuition Award  
( http://www.gibill.va.gov )  

The Vietnam Veterans Award (VVTA) Program provides financial aid to veterans who served in Indochina between January 1, 1963 and May 7, 1975. Awards are available for full- and part-time study in both undergraduate degree and certain vocational programs.

Full-time awards are $500.00 per semester or full tuition, whichever is less, and are available for four years of full-time study (or for five years in an approved five-year bachelor's degree program.) The applicant is required to apply for a TAP award and Pell Grant. If a TAP award is approved, the combination of TAP and VVTA cannot exceed tuition.

Part-time awards are $250.00 per semester or tuition, whichever is less, and are for students taking 3-11 credit -hours (or the equivalent) per semester. The awards are available for up to 16 semesters (8 years), or 20 semesters (10 years) in an approved program which would normally require 5 years if the study was full-time. The applicant is required to apply for a Federal Pell Grant.  For further information, contact, NYSHESC and request a Vietnam Veterans Tuition Award Supplement.

Note: Due to legislative and budgetary constraints, any of the above information is subject to change.

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