Student TAP Coach - High School Equivalency Diploma

You can satisfy the high school diploma requirement for TAP by earning a high school equivalency diploma.

You can earn a high school equivalency diploma in New York State in one of two ways: (1) by taking and earning passing scores on the GED* test or (2) by completing 24 semester hour credits in specified subjects as a recognized candidate for a degree at an approved (accredited) institution. The 24 credits must include 6 credits in English, 3 credits in mathematics, 3 credits in the natural sciences, 3 credits in the social sciences, and 6 credits in any other courses required for the degree or certificate program in which you are matriculated.

For purposes of meeting TAP eligibility criteria, the 24 credits can include courses in which D grades were earned, providing the D was a passing grade and you earned the credit.

If you transfer from one institution to another, credits earned at both institutions can be used to determine whether you have satisfied the 24-credit requirement, providing the credits were earned at approved institutions and are listed on an official transcript. This procedure can apply even when the institution to which you are transferring does not accept all credits earned at a previous institution, as long as the prior credits are documented on an official transcript from an accredited institution.


*The GED refers to the test of General Educational Development. Passing scores on the GED test result in the State Education Department awarding a student a high school equivalency diploma.