Hochul touts tuition assistance expansion to part-time students

Albany, New York — New York State is making a $150 million expansion of the Tuition Assistance Program.

On Thursday, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced that part-time students are now eligible to apply for financial assistance through TAP.

The expansion could extend TAP benefits to about 7,500 more students who are earning their degrees within the state, she said at a Manhattan Community College conference.

Previously, the TAP program was only for full-time students. Part-time students, who sometimes include people attending college with full-time jobs or with childcare duties, were left out.

“Tap has always been there as that way to bridge the gap between what you have in your family, families that don’t have much, and the cost of your tuition,” Hochul said. “It’s supposed to help you cross that bridge, cross that bridge to opportunity. And that’s what we’ve done because we know TAP works and yet since its inception, it’s been too limited.”

You can apply for TAP through your FAFSA federal aid application.

According to the governor, 250,000 New Yorkers use the TAP program each year with an average award of $3,300 per semester.

This number is expected to grow exponentially with the inclusion of part-time students.