New York Expands Tuition Assistance Program

According to a report from Stony Brook University News, New York State Governor Kathy Hochul has announced a $150 million expansion to the state's Tuition Assistance Program.

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New York's Tuition Assistance Program will now provide assistance to 75,000 additional students who are pursuing degrees part-time, taking between six and 11 credits per semester.

Students can apply for part-time TAP this semester by filling out the federal FAFSA application and students who have already enrolled and submitted their FAFSA for this academic year will automatically receive TAP awards based on the number of credit hours they're enrolled in.

Governor Hochul stated "As Governor, I want to do more than just care for this state today, I want to prepare New York for tomorrow. Higher education students not only hold the key for our state, but for their families. A degree changes more than just the life of its holder, it changes the lives of those all around them. Every person who calls New York home should have the opportunity to better themselves and invest in their education."

As many of the newly returned Binghamton University students can tell you, navigating the financial aid world is a difficult and time-consuming necessity in the pursuit of a degree. Expanding access to financial aid to students pursuing their degrees part time will benefit a lot of New Yorkers struggling to make ends meet while they pursue their education.

According to the report, 250,000 New Yorkers were awarded more than $700 million in TAP awards in the 2020-2021 school year and more than 190,000 attended CUNY or SUNY schools tuition-free thanks to state and federal financial aid.