Tuition Assistance Program (TAP)

Students who are New York state residents and graduates of high schools in New York State may apply for TAP by completing the State's TAP Application. This application will automatically be sent to students who have filed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. MSMC's code should be listed as 2110 on the TAP Application. HESC determines each applicant's eligibility and mails an award certificate directly to the applicant indicating the amount of this grant. On your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) you are asked to list the schools you plan to attend. The FAFSA, in turn, is the source of the school code for the TAP application. When you complete the online TAP application, the first New York school you listed on the FAFSA will appear online. If the school is not correct, you must change it when completing the TAP on the Web application.

The TAP program was established by the New York State Legislature and is an entitlement program which means that if an applicant meets the criteria, he/she will receive an award at an approved institution within New York State. The minimum award has been as low as $100 per year and the maximum amount of this award at a private institution has been as high as $5,000 but depends upon the appropriation in the New York state budget approved by the legislature. Effective 2010-11 for non-remedial students receiving first NYS award payment in 2010-11 and thereafter. Remedial students and students enrolled in an approved certificate program will use the 2006 SAP charts.

After four semesters of payments, the award is reduced by $100. Students are limited to four years of eligibility and must be matriculated as a full-time student in an approved postsecondary program. Students enrolled in approved five-year programs, or in a state-sponsored opportunity program, or who are disabled may receive five years of awards for undergraduate study.

Although the Financial Aid Office provides an estimate of eligibility, all income data are subject to verification by the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance and HESC. Awards may be changed by the state based upon the result of this process. Actual payment of TAP arrives later in the semester after the College certifies student eligibility.

If a student repeats a course in which a passing grade has already been received, the course cannot be included as part of the student's minimum full-time or part-time course load for financial aid purposes. When such courses are included in meeting the minimum requirement, they render the student ineligible for TAP. In the following instances, repeated courses may count toward full-time or part-time study:

1. When a failed course is repeated;
2. When a grade received is passing at MSMC but not acceptable in a particular curriculum;
3. When a course is repeated and credit earned each time.