New York State Grants

1. Tuition Assistance Program (TAP)

TAP is New York State’s largest grant program. It helps eligible New York residents attending in-state post-secondary institutions pay for tuition. Awards range from $500 to $5,665. TAP is a grant; therefore it does not have to be paid back. MMC’s NYS TAP code is 0447.

Eligibility:

To be eligible for TAP, a student must:

Be a United States citizen or eligible non-citizen.
Be a legal resident of New York State at least one year prior to the start of college. (Dependent students’ parents must meet residency requirement.)
Study full time (at least 12 credits per semester applicable towards degree).
Have graduated from a U.S. high school. Students must have earned a high school diploma from a school in the United States or a United States territory (Puerto Rico, Guam, US Virgin Islands, Northern Mariana Islands). Students who meet the eligibility requirements but have not earned a high school diploma from the aforementioned geographic regions must present proof of TASC (formerly known as GED).
Be matriculated in an approved program of study and be in good academic standing.
Have at least a cumulative “C” average after receipt of two annual payments.
Not be in default on a student loan guaranteed by HESC and not be in default on any repayment of state awards.
Meet income eligibility limitations.
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.

Homeschooled Students - meet all other requirements noted above under Eligibility and submit proof of one of the items listed below.

obtain a letter from local school district officials confiming that the student has received an education "substantially equivalent" to instruction given to students graduating high school in the public schools;
take and pass a Test Assessing Secondary Completion (TASC) formally known as a GED and receive a NYS High School Equivalency Diploma from the New York State Education Department (SED) by the first day of classes to be certified as eligible for a financial aid award for that term; or
achieve a satisfactory score on an approved Ability-to-Benefit test by the term add/drop date.

Foreign Credentials Students - meet all other requirements noted above under Eligibility and submit proof of Ability to Benefit Test.

First-time recipients students who completed their secondary education in another country must must take and pass an approved ability-to-benefit test within the institution's add/drop period to establish award eligibility in that term.

Undergraduate students enrolled in four-year programs may receive up to four years of assistance for full-time study, and up to five years of assistance in an approved specialized program such as HEOP. Transfer students who have been TAP recipients will be required to meet the standards that apply based on the number of credits accepted in transfer plus those accumulated while at Marymount Manhattan College. For financial aid purposes, students will be considered first term students if they are applying for TAP for the first time, regardless of the number of credits they may have completed or the number of terms they may have attended at any post-secondary institution.

How to Apply for TAP

Your TAP on the web application cannot be processed until your FAFSA is completed. Complete and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) electronically at www.fafsa.gov. To sign the FAFSA form electronically, the student and one parent must create an individual FSA ID (includes a username and password). Go to www.fafsa.gov to setup FSA ID. You will be directed to the State form once your FAFSA is completed. All TAP applicants must establish a HESC PIN (personal identification number) for TAP at www.hesc.ny.gov.

The HESC PIN will allow you to complete your application, keep track of your application information, or make changes later. After establishing your PIN, your family’s calculated NYS net taxable income will be pre-filled on your TAP on-the-web application with instructions provided. The final filing deadline for TAP is June 30 of the academic year for which aid is sought.

2. Part-time TAP

Students who have completed requirements as a first-time freshman in 2006-07 and thereafter may qualify for a part-time TAP award. Students must be enrolled for 6 to 11 credits and in the previous academic year have earned two consecutive semesters of 12 credits each (24 credits total) and maintained a “C” average. Awards are based on New York State net taxable income, tuition charged, type of institution attended and number of credits taken. Students must file a TAP application.

Americans with Disabilities

ADA Part-Time TAP: Students who meet the criteria for the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and who qualify for New York State aid are exempt from the full-time enrollment requirement as per Education Law section 661(d)(4). For more information, please visit the Center for Student Services.

Remedial Courses: Students who are registered for remedial courses may be eligible to receive New York State aid. A full time student may enroll in up to 9 credit hours of remedial coursework in his or her first semester of enrollment in college, as long as he or she is in a total of at least 12 credit hours. After the first semester of college enrollment, a full time student may enroll in up to 6 credit hours of remedial study, provided once again that the student is enrolled in a total of 12 credit hours. A part time student enrolled in at least 6 credit hours may enroll in up to 3 credit hours of remedial study per semester.

3. Aid for Part-time Study (APTS)

The NYS APTS program provides grant assistance for eligible part time students enrolled in approved undergraduate studies. Awards provide up to $2,000 per year for part-time undergraduate study at participating institutions in New York State. An APTS award cannot exceed tuition charges.

For this program, part-time study means being enrolled for at least 3 but fewer than 12 semester hours per semester.

APTS Eligibility:

To be considered for an APTS award, students must:

Be enrolled as a matriculated part-time student in an approved undergraduate degree program.
Meet the program income limits.
Be New York State residents and either United States citizens or qualifying non-citizens.
Have Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) eligibility (TAP points).
Maintain good academic standing.
Not be in default on a Federal Family Education Loan.
Have achieved at least a cumulative “C” average after having received the equivalent of two full years of payment of State sponsored student financial aid.
Be a high school graduate, or have received the equivalent of a high school certificate, or have received a passing grade on a federally approved examination.

Selection for an APTS Award:

The New York State Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC) distributes APTS funds to participating colleges in New York State. College financial aid administrators will select recipients from eligible applicants based on the availability of funds and NYS income limits.

How to Apply:

To apply, an APTS application must be obtained from the Center for Student Services. The student should complete the application, attach a signed copy of their NYS tax form, and return it to the Center for Student Services for processing as early as possible, as funds are limited.

Note: The amounts of Federal and State grants are subject to legislative approval and can change. The amounts listed in this catalogue are accurate as of the date of printing.

4. New York State Veterans Tuition Awards

Veterans Tuition Awards (VTA) are awards for full-time study and part-time study for eligible veterans matriculated in an approved program at an undergraduate degree-granting institution in New York State.

Note: Students previously approved for this award must apply for payment each year. Students may apply for the current academic year by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and then linking to the NYS TAP on the Web application.

All applications must be completed by June 30 of the academic year for which an award is sought.

Eligible students are veterans who are New York State residents discharged under honorable conditions from the U.S. Armed forces. Contact the HESC Scholarship Unit at 1-888-697-4372 for a complete listing of eligible service or questions regarding how to document service. You can also go to the New York State website at www.hesc.ny.gov and key search word “Veterans tuition awards.”

If aid received in a Chapter 33 Program is less than 100% of tuition the student may also receive both federal and state benefits. If a Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) award is also received, the combined academic year award cannot exceed tuition. Thus, the TAP award may be reduced accordingly. The combined tuition benefits available to a student cannot exceed the student’s total tuition costs. Tuition payments received by a student under the Post- 9/11 GI bill® (Chapter 33 veteran benefits) and Yellow Ribbon program are considered duplicative of any VTA and/or TAP award. Students receiving tuition assistance through these programs may, and in most cases will have their State VTA and/or TAP payment reduced or denied due to these other benefits. However, payments received under the Montgomery GI bill® do not duplicate the purpose of the VTA and/or TAP.

GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government website at www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.