Grants and Scholarships - Part-time TAP Questions and Answers
- Are Advanced Placement (AP) credits or college credits that a student earned in high school acceptable for Part-time TAP for incoming freshman?
- No. Advanced Placement (AP) credits and college credits a student earned in high school are not accepted towards Part-time TAP.
- If a student attends full-time/full-time/part-time do they need to be full-time/full-time again before meeting Part-time TAP eligibility?
- No. A student only needs to complete two consecutive, full-time semesters once to be eligible for Part-time TAP.
- How can a school make the determination whether or not a transfer student, with 24 credits from a previous school, maintained full-time status?
- Schools can either request the student's transcript from the previous school to determine if the student was full-time or the school can request that HESC run a history of the student's records.
- Does a student need to have received TAP in order to be eligible to receive Part-time TAP?
- No. However, a student must be a first-time freshman in the 2006-07 academic year, must earn 12 credits or more in two consecutive semesters, and must maintain a minimum of a "C" average.
- Does a student need to maintain a minimum of a "C" average in order to receive Part-time TAP?
- Yes. A student must maintain a minimum of a "C" average throughout their part-time course of study.
- Can a waiver be used for good academic standing in order for a student to receive Part-time TAP?
- Yes. However, the "one time" nature of the waiver should be considered before it is granted for a part-time award.
Note: The "C" average criteria for Part-time TAP is an eligibility requirement that cannot be waived, either by using the "C" average waiver, or the one-time good academic standing waiver. - Are proprietary colleges eligible for Part-time TAP?
- No. Eligible colleges are the State Universities of New York (SUNY), the City Universities of New York (CUNY) and the not-for-profit Independent Degree Granting Colleges.
- Is a student eligible for additional TAP points when receiving part-time TAP?
- No. The maximum number of TAP points a student is eligible to receive is 48 points for 4 years of undergraduate study and 60 points for an approved 5 year program of study.
- When reporting credits, how should a school count half credits in reporting to HESC?
- Credits are to be rounded down.
- What factors should a school use to certify a student for either the Part-time TAP program or Aid for Part-time Study program?
- This will be an institutional decision and can be based on the amount of the institution’s allocation and the student's need.
- Will Part-time TAP awards be displayed on the same roster as full-time students?
- Since HESC does not know what the students true status will be, all students will appear on the roster and will be calculated for a Full-time TAP award.
- How does HESC calculate the Part-time TAP award?
- Once Certification is submitted, HESC will calculate the Part-time TAP award based on the reported credits. The following schedules reflect the percentage of the full-time award and the undergraduate TAP points accrued based on the Part-time TAP credits reported on the roster. The Remittance Advice and Student Status List will reflect the new award.
