Tuition Assistance Program (TAP)
Who is Eligible?
To be eligible for tuition assistance, a student must:
- Be a legal resident of New York State and have resided in NYS for 12 continuous months;
- Be a United States citizen or eligible non-citizen
- Have graduated from High School in the United States, or earned a High School equivalency diploma by passing a Test Assessing Secondary Completion (TASC) formally known as GED, or passed a federally approved "Ability to Benefit" exam 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 4th semester payment;
- Be enrolled as a full-time student taking 12 or more credits applicable toward the degree program, per semester. Use DegreeWorks to find the required classes needed for your degree/program of study by logging into your CUNYFirst, click on the Degree Works / FACTS tile, then select DegreeWorks, for Student ID: put in your CUNYFirst EMPLID and press enter. You will see the still needed classes.
- Be charged at least $200 tuition per year;
- Meet the income requirement;
- Not be in default on a student loan and not be in default on any repayment of State awards
*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.
What are the Award Amounts?
The amount of TAP you receive depends on your family income, the number of family members attending college full-time, the number of semesters you have received TAP so far, and the size of the annual appropriation for the program. Maximum TAP awards can be equal to but not greater than the full tuition of a college. State budgetary restrictions can further limit TAP awards to a portion of your tuition. The award amounts at John Jay College can vary from $500. to $2,832.50 per semester. TAP allows for the equivalent of up to 8 full-time semesters of payments for students. SEEK Students are allowed the equivalent of up to 10 full-time semesters of payments.
| Student Type | NYS Taxable Income Limit |
|---|---|
| Dependent undergraduate students or Independent students who are married and have tax dependents, or Independent students who are unmarried and have tax dependents, or beginning with the 2014-15 academic year, students who qualify as an orphan, foster child or ward of the court | $125,000 |
| Independent undergraduate students who are married and have no other tax dependents | $60,000 |
| Single independent undergraduate students with no tax dependents | $30,000 |
What Determines the Amount of the Award?
- Be enrolled as a full-time student taking 12 or more credits applicable toward the degree program, per semester
- Academic year in which first payment of TAP or any State award is received
- Type of post-secondary institution and the tuition charged
- Combined family NYS taxable income, Federal, State or local pension income and private pension and annuity income, if applicable
- Financial status (dependent or independent)
- Other family members enrolled in college
How do I Apply for TAP?
First, you must complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) at https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa. Be sure to put John Jay College school code #002693 on the application as your first-choice school. That school will go on your TAP application automatically.
At the end of the FAFSA, on the Congratulations/confirmation page, click on the link for Start your state application to apply for New York state-based financial aid. It is located below the federal confirmation #. This will bring you to the TAP website where you will be able to apply for the New York State Tuition Assistance Program.
To have your parent(s) electronically sign your TAP application, they can enter their name, date of birth, and New York State Driver’s License or Non-Driver ID number at the end of the application.
If your parents do not have a New York State Driver’s License or Non-Driver ID, click “Paper” in the parent signature section of the HESC application. Then, print the signature page for your parents to complete and sign. Then you must upload this signed document to your HESC Account.
If you do not complete the TAP application immediately after filing your FAFSA, you will be sent an email with a link to the online TAP Application after the FAFSA is processed. You may go to https://www.tap.hesc.ny.gov/totw/ to apply for TAP online. This process will take 7 – 10 days for the TAP Application to be processed. TAP will no longer mail paper applications.
You will be emailed a response once the TAP application has been processed. You may check your status online at www.hesc.ny.gov by clicking on Student Account Sign In then Login. You will be able to view the status of your TAP application, you can click review/update your TAP information to make any corrections, including changing your school code, if needed.
The TAP school code for John Jay College is: 1414.
The filing deadline for TAP is May 1 of the academic year for which you wish to receive aid.
Part Time TAP
TAP is now available for part time students taking 3 – 11 credits of required classes, you must maintain a 2.00 cumulative GPA by end of each semester.
You must file the FAFSA and TAP Application.
Academic Requirements
High School, GED, or Ability to Benefit
- Graduated from high school in the United States, earned a high school equivalency diploma (GED), or passed a federally approved "Ability to Benefit" test.
College & Program
Once in college, you must meet the following requirements:
- Attend an approved college in New York State.
- Enrolled in 3–12 credits per semester that count toward your degree.
- Have a cumulative C-Average of at least 2.00 by end of each semester. Please note Good Academic Standing Waivers cannot be used to qualify students who do not meet the C-Average requirement.
- Be enrolled in a degree-granting program of study and maintain good academic standing.
- Be charged at least $200 for tuition per year.
Aid for Part-Time Study (APTS)
APTS is a grant from New York State for students pursuing a degree as a part-time undergraduate student. The amount of the grant is determined by CUNY and is based upon the availability of funds from New York State. Students may apply after completing the FAFSA, TAP application and the CUNY Financial Aid Supplement form. Please note that this program will be sunsetted at the end of the 2024-2025 award year.
For historical information visit: https://www.jjay.cuny.edu/admissions/tuition-financial-aid/aid-part-time-study-apts
Feature for Students with Disabilities
As of the Fall 1998 semester, students who are disabled, as defined by the 1990 Federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), do not have to be in full time attendance to be eligible for Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) payments. If your disability warrants part-time attendance, you may take as few as three (3) credits per semester to be eligible for TAP.
Students, who are disabled, as defined by the ADA, must see a counselor in the Office of Accessibility Services located in L.66.01 NB, in order to establish eligibility for TAP under this provision.
Once TAP eligibility has been established, the Office of Accessibility Services must submit the approval form directly to the TAP Officer in the Financial Aid Office in 607 BMW.
Students who have a foreign high school diploma applying for New York State (NYS) Financial Aid are required to meet the New York State Ability to Benefit (ATB) exam standards.
You must fulfill the New York State Ability to Benefit (ATB) requirement if you have not earned at least one (1) of the following:
- a US high school diploma or a recognized equivalent such as a TASC/GED,
- a Home School Letter from your school district's superintendent,
- a previous accredited College Degree, or
- 24 earned college credits in the core classes as required by the New York State Education Department (SED). Students in this category should apply for their High School Equivalency Diploma (GED) with the SED's High School Equivalency (HSE) Office more information can be found at https://www.acces.nysed.gov/aepp/college-credit
All New York State residents who have a foreign high school diploma are required to meet the New York State ATB standards to be eligible for TAP and NY State Aid. Students are required to meet the scores listed on all three of the following ATB test modules:
- Reading: a score of 233 or higher
- Writing: a score of 235 or higher
- Arithmetic: a score of 230 or higher
You may schedule your ATB Tests by emailing: testing@jjay.cuny.edu
| Fall 2025 | Spring 2026 |
|---|---|
| Monday, September 15, 2025 | Friday, February 13, 2026 |
Contact Us
Financial Aid Office
Mailing Address
524 West 59th Street
BMW, 607
New York, NY 10019
Phone: 212-663-7867
E-mail: TAPInquiry@jjay.cuny.edu