Tuition Assistance Program (TAP)

Grant eligibility requirements:

TAP, the New York State Grant program is an entitlement program. Each applicant for TAP must meet the following eligibility requirements:

1. Be a New York State resident for a minimum of 12 months and U.S. citizen, permanent resident alien, a paroled refugee, or a conditional entrant to the United States.
2. Be enrolled full-time and matriculated in an approved New York State postsecondary institution.
3. Not be in default on a government student loan
4. Be charged tuition of at least $200 per year.
5. Have a cumulative “C” average after receipt of two annual payments.
6. Have a high School diploma or GED.
7. Have a valid social security number; and meet income eligibility requirements
8. Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC) will then send the student an Express TAP Application (ETA), which the student will complete and return to HESC. The Higher Education Services Corporation determines each applicant’s eligibility and mails an award certificate directly to the applicant indicating the amount of the grant. The amount of the TAP award is scaled according to type of School, level of study, tuition charge, and net taxable income.

Academic Eligibility Requirements

New York State Education Department regulations require that students applying for the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) must meet both the School’s Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress and the TAP Pursuit of Program requirements to maintain eligibility for the program. Students who are not in compliance with these standards will have their awards suspended and may re-establish eligibility only after providing acceptable evidence of their ability to successfully complete the program.

TAP Pursuit of Program Requirements

Students must complete courses (achieve a passing or failing grade) in the following percentages of a full-time program (at least 12 credits per quarter/semester) in each quarter/semester in which TAP is received to continue eligibility for TAP payments: 50% of the full-time program in each quarter/semester in the first year; 75% of the full-time program in each quarter/semester in their second year and 100% of their full-time program in each quarter/semester in their third and fourth years.

Failure To Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress

A student who exceeds the maximum number of hours allowed for degree completion will be suspended from future financial aid until the reason for the excessive hours can be adequately documented.

A student who either fails to achieve the required cumulative Graduation/Retention GPA, or to complete at least 75% of the total hours attempted, will be placed on financial aid probation for the following semester of enrollment at SPSON. Student may receive financial aid while on probation.

At the end of the probationary period, if a student is meeting the Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements, they will regain unconditional eligibility for federal financial aid programs. If a student has not met the requirements, they will have eligibility for federal financial aid suspended. Please see below.

Financial Aid Suspension

A student denied assistance based on the Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy may submit a written appeal to the Appeals Committee. An appeal form is included in the suspension notification letter. The appeal and supporting documentation must be received in the SPSON Registrar’s Office by the deadline reflected in the suspension notification letter. The appeal should speak in detail to mitigating or extenuating circumstances that affected the student’s academic performance, i.e., severe physical injury or mental trauma.

A student suspended for exceeding the maximum hours allowed for degree completion should also have the Registrar complete the “Remaining Hours Required for Degree Completion” form if extenuating circumstances require the student to exceed the maximum hours limit. The form is included in the suspension notification letter.

Action taken on a financial aid appeal is final and is transmitted to the student in writing by the Appeals Committee. Depending upon the timeliness of the appeal, it is possible for a student to have an appeal denied and also not be entitled to a refund of charges if the student chooses to withdraw from classes. A student who enrolls and attends a class whose appeal is subsequently denied will be eligible for a refund of charges based solely on the refund policy in the SPSON Catalog.

A student suspended for reasons other than exceeding the maximum number of hours for degree completion who does not appeal, or whose appeal is denied, may be reinstated on a probationary basis by meeting both of the following criteria:

1. Achieve the required cumulative Graduation/Retention GPA or the required Semester GPA (Undergraduate = 2.00); and,
2. Successfully complete 75% of the total cumulative hours attempted or 75% of the hours attempted for that semester/quarter.

A student may regain eligibility by attending SPSON for the academic year without the benefit of federal financial aid and meeting the SAP eligibility criteria. A student may also regain eligibility by transferring work into SPSON from an accredited institution. Transfer work must be reflected on the SPSON transcript to be considered for purposes of federal financial aid eligibility.

TAP Satisfactory Academic Progress – Probationary Semester

Students who do not meet these State standards may seek a one-time waiver from the Financial Aid Committee (Camus President, Financial Aid Director & Dean of Education). Those students placed on probation due to unsatisfactory grade point average may be limited to a maximum of 13 credits in the following quarter/semester.

Effective for the 2010-11 academic year and thereafter, New York State Education Law requires a non-remedial student, whose first award year is in 2010-11 and thereafter, must meet new standards of satisfactory academic progress (SAP).

Non-remedial students whose first year is 2007-08 through 2009-10 must meet the SAP requirements enacted in 2006.

Standard Of Satisfactory Academic Progress for The Purpose Of Determining Eligibility For State Student Aid

Effective 2010-11 for non-remedial students receiving first NYS award payment in 2010-11 and thereafter.

The 2010-11 enacted NYS budget mandates the following standards of progress, enacted in 2006-07, shall be used for non- remedial students who first receive State aid in 2007-08 through 2009-10.

Second Degree

According to New York State Education Law, an eligible student is entitled to up to four years of Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) awards: five years at the undergraduate level if the student is enrolled in an approved five-year program. Effective with the 2010-11 academic year and thereafter, New York State law does not provide TAP funding for graduate students.

TAP is available for students with remaining eligibility who enroll for a second degree at the undergraduate level. However, the law limits a student to three years of TAP if enrolled in a certificate program or an associate level degree program.

Beneficial Placement

Beneficial placement is a policy that applies when a recipient of State student aid in good standing transfers to another institution or, within the same institution, changes academic programs.

Beneficial placement applies only with respect to satisfactory academic progress and means that a student can be re- positioned on the progress chart based either on the number of credits accrued (earned) or aid payments received, whichever is more beneficial to the student.

In the case of student transferring/changing programs within an institution, the same beneficial policy would apply, providing the student is in good academic standing at the time of the change of program. A student who has failed to maintain good academic standing cannot regain eligibility by changing programs in the same institution.

Beneficial placement does not have a bearing on the pursuit of program requirement. For example, if a student has received four or more State award payments, the student is at the 100 percent pursuit level and must complete/get a grade in the minimum full-time or part-time course load to satisfy this requirement.

Although the student’s total entitlement of four years of undergraduate TAP is not affected by beneficial placement; this policy does permit a student in situations similar to the examples above time to adjust to a new institution or new program by having to meet credit accrual requirements at a more gradual rate than might otherwise be the case.

TAP Calendars

TAP Calendar for A Semester Program: Associate Degrees

TAP Calendar for A Quarter Program: Associate Degrees