HESC Colleague NewsletterJanuary 1, 2007  

New Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) Reporting Requirements

Jim Lafferty

A new state law requires the president of HESC to prepare and submit an annual report on TAP for the governor and the legislature in February of each year, with the first report due by February 15, 2007.

The report shall review and include information or data on the following areas:

  • All policies regarding, and the costs associated with, the distribution of TAP funds to both full-time and part-time TAP recipients.
  • Payment schedules, certification times, and repayment procedures for TAP.
  • A survey of the eligibility requirements for full-time and part-time recipients.
  • A review of all procedures for the adjustment of income for change in circumstance, as well as the impact and utilization of these procedures, by recipients of TAP, at each institution, each semester or trimester.
  • The number and circumstances under which one-time exemptions from academic progress requirements were granted to the recipients of TAP at each institution, each semester or trimester.
  • The availability of state financial assistance as it pertains to the increasing cost of attending a college or university.
  • The number of students receiving TAP, full time and part-time, at each institution, each semester or trimester.
  • The number of credits earned by students receiving TAP, full-time and part-time, at each institution, each semester or trimester.
  • The number of students receiving TAP, full-time and part-time, at each institution, each semester or trimester, that become ineligible for TAP because they have exhausted their allotment.

HESC already collects most of the information needed for the annual report except for the number of credits earned by TAP recipients. To comply with the reporting requirements, HESC will collect this data from each school by January 15, 2007.

On December 18, HESC will provide each school with a file and Excel spreadsheet of their undergraduate students certified for fall 2005 and spring 2006 terms. The school may return a file or the Excel spreadsheet to HESC with the credits earned data. The City University of New York (CUNY) central administration will submit the number of TAP credits earned by recipients for all students at CUNY schools.

Direct your questions to HESC TAP Policy at 518-474-3552 or tappolicy@hesc.org.