Maintaining NY State Eligibility

NY State expects students to be actively pursuing a degree by completing a certain percentage of coursework each term. Program pursuit measures how many credits a student completes each semester and gets progressively more rigorous the longer they're in college. 

Satisfactory program pursuit is defined as receiving a passing or failing grade in a certain percentage of a full-time course load each semester an award is received. Students may not receive more than six (6) semesters of TAP in their pursuit of an Associate's Degree unless they are Educational Opportunity Program students.

Minimum full-time course load: 12 credits

* Based on enrollment in at least 12 degree-applicable credits. 

**Applicable to Educational Opportunity Program students only.

Satisfactory Academic Progress for NYS Aid

TAP Satisfactory Academic Progress (TAP SAP) tracks your overall progress from semester to semester. It measures both your cumulative GPA and the total number of credits you’ve earned to ensure you’re on pace to graduate on time.

Minimum Progress Standards for Students Who First Received TAP in 2010–11 or Later:

Effective for 2015-16, students who are disabled as defined by the Americans with Disability Act of 1990, first receiving aid in 2010-11 and thereafter, must meet the new standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP).

Students who received their first award prior to the 2006-07 academic year, and remedial students, continue to be subject to the standards of satisfactory academic progress approved by the Commissioner of Education.

A "remedial student" is defined as a student:

1. whose scores on a recognized college placement exam or nationally recognized standardized exam indicated the need for remediation for at least two semesters, as certified by the college and approved by the State Education Department (SED); or
2. who was enrolled in at least six semester hours of non-credit remedial courses (i.e., DST courses) in the first term they received a TAP award; or
3. who is or was enrolled in an opportunity program (HEOP, EOP, SEEK CD).

Student's may enroll at their own expense or using other aid and successfully complete enough credits, and/or raise their GPA, to once again meet both:

• The program pursuit standard (earning the required number of degree-applicable credits), and

• The satisfactory academic progress standard (meeting the GPA and cumulative credit requirements on the TAP chart).

Once the student reestablishes good academic standing, TAP eligibility can resume in the next semester.

Exception: Students that have received 4 semesters of TAP must have a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA before state aid can be reinstated.

Students who have lost good academic standing, are absent from school for at least one calendar year, and are then readmitted by the institution may be eligible for NYS aid under the following conditions:

• the student is returning to college after an absence of at least one calendar year;
• has not received State financial assistance at another institution; and
• meets the institution’s academic requirements for readmission. 

The student is eligible for an award for the first term upon readmission, but must then meet the SAP requirements to be eligible for
subsequent semesters. 

A student readmitted to an institution who is enrolled part-time (less than 12 credits per semester) or who has received two or more years of award payments must have a C-average (cumulative 2.0 GPA) or better to receive further State-administered financial aid. The student’s cumulative grade point average is based on prior grades earned at the institution. 

Sometimes, life events beyond your control can affect your grades or progress toward your degree. New York State allows students to request a TAP waiver one time during their undergraduate studies to restore TAP eligibility after falling below the academic standards for good academic standing or program pursuit. A TAP waiver is not automatic — it’s granted only in cases of extraordinary or extenuating circumstances and must be supported by documentation.

Waiver for Reinstatement of State Financial Aid Eligibility

Students who lose their eligibility for New York State financial aid for failing to make Pursuit of Program and/or Good Academic Standing may apply for this waiver to have their State financial aid eligibility reinstated. If approved, state aid will be reinstated. Such a waiver can be granted only one time in a student’s undergraduate academic career.

You may request a waiver if you’ve lost TAP eligibility because you did not meet:

• The Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) chart (credits/GPA requirement), or

• The Program Pursuit standard (percentage of courses completed each term)

You cannot request a waiver for the 2.0 GPA requirement that applies to:

• Part-Time TAP students, or

• Full-time students after receiving four semesters of TAP.

That “C average” rule is set in state law and is not waivable.

In order to apply for a waiver, the student must demonstrate that an unusual/extenuating circumstance beyond their control existed while the student was enrolled at FLCC and it affected his/her academic performance; that the circumstance is now resolved or no longer exists; and provide documentation of the circumstance from a third-party professional with dates that align to when the student was enrolled at FLCC and failed TAP SAP. 

A waiver may be approved if you can show that your lack of academic progress or pursuit was due to circumstances beyond your control, such as:

• Personal illness or injury

• Death or serious illness in your immediate family

• Mental health crisis or trauma

• Family or financial hardship

• Other extraordinary situations that temporarily prevented you from performing academically

You’ll need to provide date-driven supporting documentation — such as medical notes, death certificates, counseling records, or other official materials that verify the situation.

Repeat courses may count towards full-time or part-time enrollment for NYS aid if the student did not previously earn credit for it. Courses with grades of F (Fail) or W (Withdrawn) can be repeated and counted. If a student passed the class and earned credit, repeating it generally won’t count toward their state aid eligibility.

A student who earned a passing grade in a course but wishes to repeat the course in the hopes of improving the grade and overall grade point average cannot count the repeated course as part of the minimum course load. Additionally, a repeated course in which a passing grade was previously earned cannot be used to meet the pursuit of program requirements. 

In some cases, a student may repeat a course and still have it count toward the minimum full-time or part-time course load for New York State financial aid:

1. Program-Specific Grade Requirements
   If a student earns a grade that is considered passing by the college but not passing for their specific program, the course may be repeated and count toward NYS aid eligibility.
   Example: A student earns a D in a nursing course. While a D is passing at the college, the Nursing program requires a minimum grade of C, so the student may repeat the course and have it count toward the minimum credit load.

2. Courses Eligible for Credit Each Time They Are Taken
   Some courses allow students to earn credit every time they are repeated — such as physical education, studio art, or certain language or music courses. These repeat courses can also count toward the student’s full-time or part-time enrollment for state aid purposes.

Both full and part-time students are eligible for various types of NYS financial aid, however, state aid only covers courses that count towards a students current degree or certificate program.

To receive a TAP award, full-time students must be enrolled in at least 12 credit hours that apply directly to their program of study each semester. If you take a class that is not required for your degree, it can only be counted toward your TAP eligibility if it is in addition to the 12 program-applicable credits that make you full-time. If you are in your final semester before graduation, you may take courses outside your degree program and still receive TAP as long as you are enrolled in all the courses needed to complete your degree requirements that semester. (Please note: this exception applies to New York State aid only and does not apply to federal financial aid programs.)

For purposes of determining state aid eligibility, non-credit remedial coursework are NOT considered when determining standards of good academic progress and cumulative GPA. However, non-credit courses will be used to determine satisfactory pursuit of program.