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State Financial Aid Programs

General NYS Aid Eligibility Requirements

  1. Meet either one of the United States citizenship requirements or non-eligible non-citizenship requirements, or meet HESC's requirements for the NYS DREAM Act.

  2. Meet New York State residency requirements

  3. Possess a U.S. high school diploma or its recognized equivalent, or pass a federal approved ATB test identified by the Board of Regents. For further information on ATB requirements for NYS Aid programs, visit HESC’s Ability to Benefit FAQ.

  4. Enroll in an approved program of study in a New York State postsecondary institution

  5. Be in matriculated status

  6. Be in good academic standing as defined by HESC

  7. Not be in default on any student loan

  8. Have a minimum tuition liability of at least $200 per academic year ($100 per semester).

Excelsior Scholarship

The first-of-its-kind program that provides free tuition to New York State students whose families have an adjusted combined federal household income of $125,000 or less (annually) to attend a SUNY or CUNY two-year or four-year college. For further information on the Excelsior Scholarship, please visit the Office of Financial Aid or www.hesc.ny.gov/Excelsior.

Tuition Assistance Program (TAP)

TAP is an Entitlement Grant Program for New York State residents attending postsecondary institutions in the state. The Program provides grant assistance to help eligible full-time students meet tuition charges.

  1. Students in an associate degree or certificate programs are eligible for up to three years of assistance (36 payment points).

  2. Students in bachelor’s degree programs are eligible for up to four years of assistance (48 payment points).

  3. SEEK students are eligible for up to five years of assistance (60 payment points).

Note that awards vary according to tuition charges, type of institution attended, family net taxable income, and the academic year in which students received their first payment.

Jose Peralta New York State DREAM Act

The Senator José Peralta New York State DREAM Act gives undocumented and other students access to New York State‐administered grants and scholarships that support their higher education costs.

The DREAM Act opens the doors of higher education to thousands of students, providing access to the new Excelsior Scholarship, the Tuition Assistance Program, as well as other state‐administered scholarships that were not previously available to them.  More information about the program can be found on their site:  https://www.hesc.ny.gov/dream/

Part-Time TAP

Similar to TAP, PTAP is an Entitlement Grant Program for New York State residents attending postsecondary institutions in the state. Furthermore,

1.     Students in associate degree or certificate programs are eligible for up to three years of assistance (36 payment points).

2.     Students in bachelor degree programs are eligible for up to four years of assistance (48 payment points).

3.     SEEK students are eligible for up to five years of assistance (60 payment points).

Note that awards vary according to tuition charges, type of institution attended, family net taxable income, and the academic year in which students received their first payment.

Unlike TAP, however, PTAP provides grant assistance to help eligible part-time students meet tuition charges.

Along with all general NYS Aid eligibility requirements, to be eligible to receive PTAP awards for terms prior to the 2025-2026 academic year, students must:

  1. Be enrolled in 6-11 credits applicable towards their degree program per semester.

  2. Maintain a cumulative C-Average (2.0), except for first-time college students who have no prior matriculation in college.

  3. Have attended college as a first-time freshman within the 2006-2007 academic year or later. Students who matriculated in college and/or received TAP prior to the 2006-2007 academic year are not eligible for Part-Time TAP awards.

Along with all general NYS Aid eligibility requirements, to be eligible to receive PTAP awards for terms within the 2025-2026 academic year and thereafter, students must:

  1. Be enrolled in 3-11 credits applicable towards their degree program per semester.

  2. Maintain a cumulative C-Average (2.0), except for first-time college students who have no prior matriculation in college.

Aid for Part-time Study (APTS)

Unlike TAP and PTAP, APTS is not an Entitlement Grant Program. Prior to the 2025-2026 academic year, the APTS program provided tuition assistance to eligible undergraduate students enrolled on a part-time basis, but funding was limited and available on a first come, first serve basis. Furthermore, unlike other grant and scholarship programs administered byUnlike other grant and scholarship programs administered by HESC, the APTS Program operated as a campus-based program. To apply, students must have completed the CUNY Supplement Form. The amount of the award depended on a student’s financial need, the tuition cost, the college’s allocation of funds, and the total number of applicants who were eligible to receive APTS awards at the college.

APTS awards reduced a student’s total award eligibility for TAP. Once TAP eligibility is exhausted, students were no longer eligible for APTS. APTS was considered one-half of a TAP Award (3 payment points). Effective as of the 2025-2026 academic year, the APTS program will be consolidated into the PTAP program in an effort to simplify the application process and ensure greater accessibility to NYS part-time funding.

City University Supplemental Tuition Assistance (CUSTA)

The CUSTA Award is a City University administered program to assist students who experience a reduction in their TAP Award in their 5th semester of TAP eligibility. To be eligible for the CUSTA Award, students must be:

  1. Enrolled in an undergraduate program at a CUNY Senior or Technical College.

  2. Enrolled on a full-time basis.

  3. Eligible for the maximum TAP Award.

  4. At least a fifth-semester TAP eligible recipient who has not exhausted their TAP eligibility.

The Search for Education, Elevation and Knowledge (SEEK) Program

This Program assists in providing higher education opportunities for educationally and economically disadvantaged students. Students are provided with specialized counseling, tutorial services, academic instruction, and additional financial aid stipends for books and fees.

Requirements for eligibility are on the Freshmen Application for Admissions.

Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP)

ASAP assist students in earning their associate degree within three years by providing comprehensive advisement, career development, academic support, and financial resources, including waivers for tuition and fees (for students in receipt of financial aid), MTA MetroCards, and additional financial assistance to defray the cost of textbooks. To learn more about ASAP eligibility, visit:  https://www.mec.cuny.edu/academic-affairs/asap/

Students who are Delinquent or in Default

Students who are delinquent and/or in default of any of their financial accounts with the College, the University, or an appropriate State or Federal Agency for which the University acts as either disbursing or certifying agent, are not permitted to complete registration, and cannot be issued either a copy of their grades, a transcript of academic records, or their certificate or degree. They cannot receive any funds under the Federal Campus-based Student Assistance Programs nor the Federal Pell Grant Program unless the designated officer waives IN WRITING the application of this regulation. This can only be done in exceptional hardship cases and must be consistent with Federal and State Regulations.