New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP)

The New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) helps eligible New York residents pay tuition at approved schools in New York State. Depending on the academic year in which you begin study, an annual TAP award can be up to $5,665. Because TAP is a grant, it does not have to be paid back. This page will walk you through applying for TAP and updating a TAP application with the correct school code. You can also review the TAP policy for satisfactory academic progress (SAP) to be sure you’re on track.

To be eligible for TAP, students must be New York state residents, be attending college full-time, and meet certain New York State Taxable Income limits based on your dependency status. TAP awards range from $500 - $5,665 for new TAP grant recipients.

Student Type New York State Taxable Income Limit
Dependent undergraduate students or Independent students who are married and have tax dependents, or Independent students who are unmarried and have tax dependents, or students who are qualified as an orphan, foster child or ward of the court at any time since the age of 13 $80,000
Independent undergraduate students who are married and have no other tax dependents $40,000
Single independent undergraduate students with no tax dependents $10,000

How to apply for TAP:

  • Submit the FAFSA (look for state aid application on the confirmation page of FAFSA).
  • Complete Cornell’s Financial Aid application process.
  • Complete the TAP Application, available from:
  • Enter your school code from the School Code Chart below.
    IMPORTANT: In order to avoid delays, please make sure you use the correct school code.

    • School Code Chart

      • Endowed Colleges (Use School Code: 0175)
        • College of Architecture, Art and Planning
        • College of Arts and Sciences
        • College of Engineering
        • Cornell SC Johnson College of Business - School of Hotel Administration
      • State Contract Colleges (Use School Code: 0174)
        • College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
        • College of Human Ecology
        • Cornell SC Johnson College of Business - Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management
        • School of Industrial and Labor Relations
      • Graduate Colleges (Use School Code Below)
        • Graduate School (Use School Code: 5030)
        • Johnson Graduate School (Use School Code: 5035)
        • Law School (Use School Code: 5033)
        • Veterinary Medicine (Use School Code: 5665)
        • Weill Medical College (Use School Code: 5510)

How to update a New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) application

  • Go to the New York State Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC) website.
  • You will be prompted to log in to HESC using your HESC PIN Authentication.
  • Once logged in you will update your college code based on your corresponding category from the School Code Chart below.
  • If you would like assistance in making this change, you can schedule a one-on-one appointment with a HESC Customer Communications representative.

    • School Code Chart

      • Endowed Colleges (Use School Code: 0175)
        • College of Architecture, Art and Planning
        • College of Arts and Sciences
        • College of Engineering
        • Cornell SC Johnson College of Business - School of Hotel Administration
      • State Contract Colleges (Use School Code: 0174)
        • College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
        • College of Human Ecology
        • Cornell SC Johnson College of Business - Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management
        • School of Industrial and Labor Relations
      • Graduate Colleges (Use School Code Below)
        • Graduate School (Use School Code: 5030)
        • Johnson Graduate School (Use School Code: 5035)
        • Law School (Use School Code: 5033)
        • Veterinary Medicine (Use School Code: 5665)
        • Weill Medical College (Use School Code: 5510)