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New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) Certification. Definition of Certification. The determination and reporting by the school of each student’s eligibility for receiving a TAP Award School is responsible for reporting to HESC Students eligible for TAP awards
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New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP)Certification
Definition of Certification • The determination and reporting by the school of each student’s eligibility for receiving a TAP Award • School is responsible for reporting to HESC • Students eligible for TAP awards • Students who have failed to satisfy eligibility criteria • Responsibility is fulfilled by certifying or decertifying students who have appeared on a on payment roster
TAP Certifying Officer • Designated by school’s authorizing official • Responsibilities • Attest to accuracy of certification information • Train and monitor activities of institutional personnel directly involved in TAP certification process • Provide policy guidance to institutional personnel • Ensure certification activities are timely to facilitate delivering TAP awards to students and returning overpayments to HESC • Ensure school’s automated certification system is accurate and has been adequately tested as required by the EFAN Agreement
Student Status • Students approved for TAP award are placed on a HESC payment roster • School then determines if each student's eligibility criteria is satisfied • Award status will be one of the following: • Certified: School has determined the student satisfies eligibility criteria for the award for that term • Decertified: School has determined the student does not satisfy eligibility criteria for award for that term • Pending: School is temporarily unable to determine the student's eligibility for an award for that term and will not certify until eligibility uncertainty is resolved
Certification Status Date • The school cannot certify a student until the student has incurred full tuition liability for the term
When Student’s Eligibility Is Assessed • As of the First Day of Classes • Citizenship, residency, high school graduation and good academic standing requirements • As of the Certification Status Date • Matriculation, approved program, full-time study and tuition liability requirements • Student enrolled in "simulated semester" must register for sufficient credits for full-time study at start of term
Eligibility Requirements for Full-time TAP • U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen • Legal resident of New York State • Study at approved postsecondary institution in New York State • Have graduated from high school in the U.S., earned a GED, or passed federally approved "Ability to Benefit" test • Be enrolled as full-time student taking 12 or more credits, applicable toward the degree program, per semester
Eligibility Requirements for TAP • Meet income eligibility limitations • Matriculated in approved program of study and in good academic standing • Have at least 2.0 cumulative average after receipt of two annual TAP payments • Be charged at least $200 tuition per year • Not in default of a federal or State student loan nor any repayment of state awards
Eligibility: Full-time Requirement • Student must be enrolled full time, taking 12 or more credits, applicable toward the degree program, per semester • Credit-bearing courses must be general education or major requirement, or specified or free elective • Credit-bearing courses not integral to student’s program of study cannot be included as part of minimum study requirement
Eligibility: Full-time Requirement • Up to 6 semester hours in remedial, noncredit study can be included as part of the minimum semester full-time course load • First semester, remedial student’s minimum full-time course load need include only 3 semester hours of credit-bearing course work
Eligibility: Matriculation • Institution must be approved by the NYS Education Department (SED) orby the NYS Department of Health • Students must be matriculated in an approved program of study and be in good academic standing
Submitting Certifications to HESC • Two options • Batch file processing • Web processing
Certification Codes 1 Eligible • Student meets all criteria and still attends; also used if student withdrew from a class, incurred tuition liability for the class and is still in attendance 2 Tap-no Scholarship • Student meets criteria for TAP award but is not enrolled in approved program for Scholarship 3 Withdrawn with tuition liability • Student meets all eligibility criteria but has withdrawn from all classes and incurred tuition liability for twelve credits
Certification Codes 4 Not Registered • Student was not enrolled or has withdrawn without any tuition liability 5 Not Full Time • Student has not registered for sufficient credits to meet full–time requirement or has not registered for sufficient credits to meet part-time requirements • To receive a part-time summer award, student must be full-time during previous Spring or will be full time in subsequent Fall
Certification Codes 6 Not Matriculated • Student is not considered to be degree candidate 7Does not meet Accelerated Study requirements 8 Not in Good Academic Standing • Student has not met pursuit and progress requirements established by school 9 Miscellaneous • Decertify student not eligible for any other reasons (residency, citizenship, etc.)
Good Academic Standing • Determined by two components • Pursuit of Program (POP) • measure of student’s effort to complete a program • Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) • measure of student’s achievement
POP • Program pursuit • Completing and receiving a grade in a percentage of the minimum full-time course load in each term an award is received • 50 percent in each term of first year • 75 percent in each term of second year • 100 percent in each term of third year and thereafter
SAP • Student must earn minimum number of semester hours of credit with minimum grade point average • Must be checked every semester
SAP • Non-remedial Students • First award year 2010-11 and thereafter must meet SAP requirements enacted in 2011 • First award year 2007-08 through 2009-10 must meet SAP requirements enacted in 2006 • First award prior to 2006-07 continue to be subject to SAP requirements • Institutions may choose to adopt for all students standards mandated in Education Law by requesting State Education Department (SED) approval
SAP • Remedial Students • Students meeting definition of "remedial student" are not subject to 2011 SAP standards • Use 2006 requirements
Definition of Remedial • Student whose scores on college placement exam indicated need for least two semesters of remediation, as certified by college and approved by SED; or • Student enrolled in at least six semester hours of non-credit remedial courses, as approved by SED, in first term in which TAP award was received; or • Student is or was enrolled in opportunity program (HEOP, EOP, SEEK CD)
Semester – BaccalaureateNon-remedial whose first year is 2010-11 and thereafter
Reinstatement of Good Academic Standing • Student must • Make up past deficiencies by completing one or more terms of study without receiving any state grants or scholarships • Be readmitted to school after an absence of at least one calendar year • Transfer to another institution • Apply for a one-time waiver of good academic standing
Waivers • Granted in certain circumstances • Two types • Good Academic Standing • C-Average
Waiver: Good Academic Standing • Failure to meet one or both of the good academic standing requirements • Satisfactory academic progress • Pursuit of program • One time waiver
Waiver: C-Average • May be granted to students who, after receiving four semester award payments, fail to achieve C-Average or equivalent due to undue hardship • the death of a relative of the student • the personal injury or illness of the student • other extenuating circumstances • Possible for student to receive more than one C-Average Waiver
Beneficial Placement • Applies when a student in good standing • Transfers to another institution or • Changes academic programs within the same institution • Students repositioned on SAP chart based on • Number of credits the student has earned; or • Number of payments received • Whichever is more beneficial • Applies only to satisfactory academic progress
TAP Policy Resources • HESC – College Administrators, Grants & Scholarships Resources • www.HESC.ny.gov • TAP Manual • TAP Coach • SED – Office of College and University Evaluation (OCUE) • www.highered.nysed.gov/ocue • Inventory of Registered Programs • CEO Memos
HESC Priority Services 866-431-4372 or priorityservices@HESC.ny.gov