The TAP Difference Report

The TAP Difference Report March 2024 1

The TAP Difference Report examines six-year student outcomes among TAP recipients compared to students who did not receive TAP.

The Report demonstrates the positive impact of TAP. TAP recipients showed increased access to four-year colleges, increased access to NYS colleges, improved college success, and increased persistence. Receipt of TAP also promoted educational equity.

Key findings are listed below:

  • Finding 1: TAP recipients were 2.2 times more likely to start college at a four-year school and nearly twice as likely to end college at a four-year school compared to non-TAP students. More TAP recipients stayed in NYS schools—with the greatest difference among upward transfers (TAP: 89%; non-TAP: 62%).
  • Finding 2: TAP recipients not only were more likely to graduate, but were also more likely to earn a Bachelor’s degree in six years than non-TAP students. The six-year completion rate for TAP recipients was 60%, 34 percentage points higher than non-TAP students (26%). Bachelor’s earners accounted for 80% of graduates who received TAP but accounted for 64% of graduates who did not receive TAP.
  • Finding 3: TAP recipients earned their undergraduate degree more quickly than non-TAP students and spent six more months in school before stopping out.
  • Finding 4: The increase in six-year completion rates among TAP recipients compared to non-TAP students was higher among disadvantaged subgroups, including first-generation students. The greatest increase (38 percentage points) was seen in Pell-eligible students and students living in areas with the highest percent of minority and non-English speaking populations.
  • Finding 5: TAP promoted educational equity. TAP recipients saw reductions in the gap in six-year completion rates between disadvantaged and advantaged subgroups. The greatest reduction was between Pell-eligible and non-Pell-eligible: the gap was cut in half, from 30 percentage points among non-TAP students to 15 percentage points among TAP recipients.
  • Finding 6: Six-year completion rates among TAP recipients approached the 67.5% statewide average for academic years 2013 and 2014, with variations existing by region. Long Island had the highest rate at 65%, while the Finger Lakes had the lowest rate among TAP recipients at 56%. Six-year completion rates among non-TAP students were much lower, at more than half the statewide average, with the Hudson Valley seeing the highest rates among non-TAP students (33%) and the Southern Tier seeing the lowest rates (21%).

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