New York Tech TAP Code for Undergraduate Students – 2120
The following information is taken from the New York State Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC) website at hesc.ny.gov. Please contact the Office of the Registrar for specific program eligibility requirements.
The New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) helps eligible New York State residents pay tuition at approved schools in New York State. Depending upon the academic year in which you begin study, an annual TAP award currently ranges from $1,000 to $5,665. TAP is a grant from the state. It does not have to be paid back.
To be eligible for TAP, you must:
- Be a United States citizen or eligible noncitizen
- Be a legal resident of New York State and have resided in New York State for 12 continuous months prior to the start of the term
- Have graduated from a high school in the U.S., earned a high school equivalency diploma (GED), or passed a federally-approved "Ability to Benefit" test as defined by the commissioner of the State Education Department
- Study at an approved postsecondary institution in New York State
- Be matriculated in an approved program of study and be in good academic standing with at least a "C" average as of the fourth semester payment
- Be enrolled as a full-time student taking 12 or more credits applicable toward the degree program* per semester to receive TAP
- Be charged at least $200 tuition per year
- Not be in default on any state or federal student loans and not be in default on any repayment of state awards
- Be in compliance with the terms of any service condition imposed by a NYS award
- Meet income requirement:
- $125,000 or less net taxable income (NTI):
- If you are a dependent undergraduate student within a household earning under the income limit, or
- If you are an independent undergraduate student (married or single) with tax dependents, or
- If you are an undergraduate student who qualified as an orphan, foster child, or ward of the court at any time since the age of 13
- $60,000 or less net taxable income (NTI):
- If you are an independent undergraduate student (married) without tax dependents
- $30,000 or less net taxable income (NTI):
- If you are an independent undergraduate student (single) without tax dependents
* Credit-bearing courses in the student's minimum full-time course load (12 semester hours or the equivalent) must consist of courses applicable to the student's program of study as a general education requirement, major requirement, or elective.
Students who do not meet all of the New York State residency and/or United States citizenship eligibility requirements for the TAP Grant may apply under the Senator Jose Peralta New York State DREAM Act. For eligibility requirements and application information, visit the NYS HESC website.
TAP Certification Process: Each semester, the Office of the Registrar must certify the TAP award based on eligibility guidelines listed above. TAP certification begins after the end of the add/drop period and continues throughout the academic year.
What Determines the Amount of the TAP Award?
The award amount is determined by:
- Academic year in which first payment of TAP or any state award is received
- Type of postsecondary institution and the tuition charge
- Combined family New York State taxable income and federal, state, or local pension income and private and pension annuity, if applicable
- Financial status (dependent or independent)
- Other family members enrolled in college
How to maintain eligibility for TAP
To remain eligible for New York State student financial assistance, you must remain in good academic standing. Two elements make up good academic standing: making satisfactory academic progress toward a degree and pursuing the program of study. See Satisfactory Academic Progress for TAP and Four- and Five-Year Baccalaureate Programs at hesc.ny.gov.
How to apply for TAP
To apply for TAP, you and your parents (if dependent) must first create a FSA ID. The student logs onto Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) with their FSA ID, and both the parent and student sign the FAFSA using their FSA ID and submit it to the federal government.
If you are eligible to receive federal student aid (also known as Title IV aid), you must complete both the FAFSA and the NYS TAP application. If you are not eligible to receive federal student aid (also known as Title IV aid), you must simply complete the NYS TAP application under the provisions of the NYS DREAM Act.
If you are a New York State resident and did not complete the NYS TAP application after filing your FAFSA, you will receive an email from HESC—usually within three to four days of completing the FAFSA—with instructions on how to complete the TAP on the web application, provided you selected at least one NYS college on the FAFSA.
At the beginning of the online TAP application on HESC, you will be prompted to create a HESC-specific user name and personal identification number called a HescPIN. You will use your HescPIN when electronically signing your TAP application and when accessing your HESC account information in the future. The New York Tech TAP code for undergraduate students is 2120.
If you are a qualifying New York State resident, you should complete the TAP application online using the New York State link on the FAFSA Submission Confirmation page, or by going to hesc.ny.gov.
HESC offers an alternate application for students who are U.S. citizens or eligible non-citizens, but at least one of their family members who is a required FAFSA contributor is not a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. If you meet this criteria, visit Alternate Eligibility Path at HESC.
The application deadline for TAP is June 30 of the academic year for which the aid is sought.
Part-Time Tuition Assistance Program (PT TAP)
Part-Time TAP helps eligible New York residents attending in-state postsecondary institutions on a part-time basis pay for tuition. Part-Time TAP is a grant and does not have to be paid back.
To be eligible for Part-Time TAP, you must meet all of the eligibility requirements for TAP. Additionally, students must be taking at least three (3) but fewer than twelve (12) credits per semester to qualify for Part-Time TAP. Courses taken must be required for degree completion. The Office of the Registrar will review students' academic records for Part-Time TAP eligibility.
TAP payment points accrue based on the number of credits taken each semester. Students cannot receive more than six TAP points per semester. Awards cannot exceed the cost of tuition. To apply for Part-Time TAP, complete the NYS HESC TAP application after the completion of your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at hesc.ny.gov.
Part-Time TAP is not the same as Aid for Part-Time Study (APTS). Beginning with the 2025–2026 award year, the APTS program ended. NYS HESC is no longer accepting APTS applications.
For more information on TAP and PT TAP, visit hesc.ny.gov or call 888-697-4372.