Financial Aid Services Bulletin 2010 - 009
2010-11 Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) - New York State Budget and Regulatory Update
The enacted 2010-11 New York State Budget, pertaining to TAP, provides for the following changes:
Award Determination Changes
- All annual TAP awards are reduced by $75;
- Private pension and annuity amounts excluded from New York State income tax are to be included in the calculation of income used for determining TAP award eligibility;
- The maximum award for students, other than a student who is in a nursing program, on Schedules D and E attending degree-granting or registered not-for-profit business schools qualified for tax exemption under section 501(c)(3) of the internal revenue code for federal income tax purposes that offer only 2 year programs is $4,000 or the actual tuition charged, whichever is less;
- A new award schedule with a maximum New York income less than $40,000 and a maximum award of the lesser of $3,025 or the actual tuition charged is established for independent students who are married with no tax dependents;
- TAP awards are not available to graduate students; and
- Students in default on any state or federal student loan are not eligible for TAP or any other New York State financial aid program.
Processing Schedule
HESC is revising its systems to reflect these award determination changes. In addition, the change in the definition of income to include income from private pensions and annuities excluded for New York State tax purposes will require changes to the application and record correction processes. It is estimated that the full implementation of these changes will be complete by August 20, 2010. HESC will make final TAP amounts available to colleges and students on HESC.org and provide a Student Status Listing for 2010-11 displaying student awards at that time.
Application Filing Deadline Change
Due to a HESC regulatory change, the application deadline for New York State financial aid programs is now June 30, consistent with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) deadline date. Accordingly, the deadline to apply for state financial aid for the 2010-11 academic year is June 30, 2011. In addition, school certification officers may request college code changes up to the established payments processing close out date for any academic year.
Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
New academic standards have been established for non-remedial students first receiving state aid in 2007-08 and thereafter. The updated standards are summarized in the following charts:
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 2007-08 and thereafter
Questions
For questions regarding information included in this bulletin, schools should contact Norene Grose at 518-473-0410 and visit
HESC.org for updates.
