To be eligible for New York State student aid programs, you must be matriculated in an approved program at a participating institution in New York State.

To receive any State-sponsored award or scholarship, you must submit an application to HESC by May 1 of the academic year for which you are seeking aid. Exception: To receive assistance through the Aid for Part-Time Study program, a campus-based program, you must submit an application to your college—not to HESC.

TAP on the Web (TOTW)--Electronic Process

NY residents can apply for both federal and state financial aid using a single online session. After filling out the FAFSA on the Web, NYS residents can link to TAP on the Web, which is pre-filled with their FAFSA data and, if applicable, historical data from HESC’s systems.

Express TAP Application (ETA)--Paper Process

You can initiate the TAP application process by filing a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). After you submit your FAFSA, HESC will send you an email or postcard containing instructions on how to file an online application or how to request an ETA. Paper applications will no longer be mailed automatically commencing with the 2010-11 academic year. Information from your FAFSA and your family's calculated NYS income will be preprinted on your ETA. Review this information, make any necessary corrections, complete any missing items, and then sign and mail using the return envelope.

HESC will process returned ETAs and then issue award notifications, denials, or requests for additional information.

For the 2009-10 academic year: HESC will continue to automatically generate an ETA from the FAFSA information and historical data, if applicable, and mail to students until the close of the 2009-10 application year.

You can update information on the original application or report information not previously reported by submitting either a:
  • Request for information--This is a form that HESC sends via email to students requesting information not reported on the application. You can use it to change any information on the application or to withdraw a financial independence claim.
  • Change form--HESC sends students an award notification via email (or postcard if no email address is available). You can make changes online to update information previously reported, to supply missing information, or to withdraw a financial independence claim.