---
title: "Tuition Assistance Program (TAP)"
url: "/admissions/financial-aid/scholarships-and-grants/tap"
type: page
date: 2026-05-22
updated: 2026-05-22
---

# Tuition Assistance Program (TAP)

# Tuition Assistance Program (TAP)

## Overview

The Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) helps eligible New York State residents pay tuition at approved schools in New York State. TAP is one of the grants, scholarships and awards programs administered by the New York State Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC).

An annual TAP award can be up to $5,165. TAP is a grant – it doesn’t have to be paid back. New York State students attending college in New York State – including high school seniors who plan to attend college the following fall – should apply for TAP.

## Eligibility

To be eligible for [TAP](http://www.hesc.ny.gov/content.nsf/SFC/Frequently_Asked_Questions_TAP#1), you must:

- Be a United States citizen or eligible noncitizen and a resident of New York State
- Have graduated from high school in the United States, or earned a high school equivalency diploma
- Study full-time undergraduate (at least 12 credits per semester) at an approved postsecondary institution in New York, be matriculated in an approved program of study and be in good academic standing with at least a cumulative "C" average as of the 4th semester payment
- Be charged at least $200 tuition per year
- Not be in default on any state or federal student loans and not be in default on any repayment of State awards
- Meet income requirements:
    - $80,000 for dependent undergraduate students or independent students who are married and have tax dependents, or independent students who are unmarried and have tax dependents
    - $40,000 for married independent undergraduate students who have no other tax dependents
    - $10,000 for unmarried independent undergraduate students with no tax dependents

## Apply for TAP: 

1. Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid ([FAFSA](https://fafsa.ed.gov/)).
2. Click link that says, “Apply for TAP”. If you missed the link on the FAFSA you will receive information from HESC about how to apply.
3. Once you are on the HESC website, create a HESC-specific user name and personal identification number called a HescPIN.
4. You will use your HescPIN to "sign" your TAP application and access your HESC account information in the future.
5. After you apply, check your TAP status by logging into your HESC account.

**What you need to complete the TAP Application:**

- Student’s social security number
- Parents’ social security numbers
- Parents’ date of birth
- Student’s driver’s license number, if the student has one
- Student’s Permanent Alien Registration Number, if not a U.S. citizen
- Copy of student’s NY State Tax Return Form IT-201
- Copy of parents’ NY State Tax Return Form IT-201
- Records of students’ untaxed income for the following sources:
- Child support the student received for all children in the household
- Interest income
- Veterans' non-education benefits
- Workers' compensation benefits
- Disability benefits
- Money received or paid on your behalf
- Records of parents’ untaxed income for the following sources:
    - Child support received for all children
    - Interest income
    - Veterans non-education benefits
    - Untaxed portion of pension benefits
    - Untaxed portion of IRA distributions
    - Workers’ compensation benefits
    - Disability benefits
- Your Federal Aid Personal Identification Numbers (PINs), if you have them already
- A valid email address, if you have one

Contact

Call us Monday-Friday 8:00AM-4:45PM

You can also live chat at HESC.ny.gov Monday-Friday 8:00AM-4:45PM

Contact by phone: [888-697-4372](tel:1-888-697-4372)

Contact by email: <webmail@HESC.ny.gov>

Contact by mail:

New York State Higher Education Services Corporation  
99 Washington Avenue  
Albany, New York 12255

Bienvenido a *TAP en la Web*, el sitio donde usted puede solicitar electrónicamente los subsidios educativos que otorga el estado de Nueva York por medio del Programa de Ayuda de Matrícula (TAP).

**Antes de llenar la solicitud electrónica del Programa TAP, hay que crear primero un nombre de usuario y número de identificación personal (PIN). Pulse aquí. (Tenga presente que la siguiente página sólo se ofrece en inglés. Una vez que haya creado su nombre de usuario y su PIN, podrá continuar con la solicitud en español.)**

Si usted todavía no ha presentado la *Solicitud Gratuita de Ayuda Federal para Estudiantes* (FAFSA), puede hacerlo en [https://fafsa.gov](https://fafsa.gov/)

Si usted tiene alguna pregunta, haga clic en el enlace **Contáctenos** arriba.

**Importante: Debido a la emergencia de salud pública del virus COVID-19, puede haber demoras en la tramitación de las solicitudes mientras trabajamos para volver a las operaciones normales.**

 

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