Tuition Assistance Program (TAP)

The Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) helps eligible New York residents attending in-state post-secondary institutions pay for tuition. Depending on the college’s tuition and the academic year in which the student began study, TAP awards can range from $250 to $2,582.50 per semester at John Jay College.

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 the Degree Works Program to find the required classes needed for your degree/program of study by going to www.cuny.edu click on Portal Log-in,  enter username and password, click Degree Works – Online Advising System Audit;
  • 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 $250 to $2,582.50 per semester.

TAP Income Limits
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 $80,000
Independent undergraduate students who are married and have no other tax dependents $40,000
Single independent undergraduate students with no tax dependents $10,000

What Determines the Amount of the Award?

  • 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.

Your FSA ID serves as your signature for the electronic TAP application. If you (or your parent) did not use FSA ID to sign your electronic FAFSA, the FAFSA signature page satisfies the TAP signature requirement. You should apply for FSA ID at https://studentaid.gov/fsa-id/create-account prior to doing your FAFSA and use it to sign your FAFSA.

If you do not complete the TAP application immediately after filing your FAFSA on the Web, you will be sent an email or postcard 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 click student access. You will be able to view the status of your TAP application, you can click review/change 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.

New 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 room 607 BMW.

Contact Us

The Financial Aid Office

Mailing Address 
524 West 59th Street
BMW, 607
New York, NY 10019
Phone: 212-663-7867
E-mail: financialaid@jjay.cuny.edu