Tuition Assistance Program (TAP)

Students who are New York state residents and graduates of high schools in the United States, holders of GED/TASC or, beginning 2026-2027, graduates of certain accredited online high school programs, 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. There are three pathways to apply for TAP: FAFSA-TAP Pathway; NYS DREAM Act Pathway; and Alternative Eligible Pathway (AEP).

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 maximum amount of this award is $5,665 in 2026-2027, and it depends upon the appropriation in the New York state budget approved each year. Minimum award: $1,000. Award amounts are based on income, dependency status, tuition charges, and when you first received state aid. Net taxable income (NTI) limits qualify for TAP.

Students are limited to four years of eligibility for a bachelor’s degree (48 TAP payment points) and must be matriculated in an approved program or study. 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 (60 TAP payment points). Student must declare a major no later than the start of the third year (before earning 61 credits).

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.

To continue receiving TAP, student must be in good academic standing, meeting both Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) and Pursuit of Program (POP), with a minimum 2.0 GPA after receiving 29 payment points (two years of TAP payments). Students may apply for one-time TAP waiver with extraordinary circumstances.
Deadline to apply for 2026-2027 award year: June 30, 2027.