NYS Senate, Assembly budget proposals would increase TAP funding

ALBANY — The State Legislature is looking to boost tuition assistance for New York students attending both public and private colleges and universities.

The Senate and Assembly in their 2024-25 budget proposals Tuesday called for changes to the state’s Tuition Assistance Program, known as TAP, including increasing the income thresholds to $125,000 from $80,000 to expand eligibility.

Both spending plans also would increase the minimum TAP award to $1,000 from $500.

“To address the troubling trend of dropping enrollment across institutions of higher education, we must invest this year to ensure the dream of attaining a higher education is accessible, affordable, and within reach again for middle- and low-income families,” said Higher Education Committee Chairwomen Sen. Toby Ann Stavisky (D-Flushing) and Assemb. Patricia Fahy (D-Albany) in a statement.

The release of the one-house proposals officially kicks off negotiations between Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul and Democrats who hold a majority in the Senate and Assembly. The state budget is due April 1.

Experts and lawmakers say the TAP expansion would be a boon to students, especially those from areas with a high cost of living.

“To have such a low cutoff is really unfair to high-cost regions like Long Island and New York City,” said Neal Lewis, director of the Office of Government and Community Affairs at Molloy University in Rockville Centre. The $80,000 income threshold is an “outdated cutoff,” he said.

Updating TAP

The Tuition Assistance Program, which was created 50 years ago, is awarded to New York State residents attending public and independent colleges. More than 235,000 students received more than $718 million in TAP funds in the 2021-22 academic year, according to data from the State Higher Education Services Corporation, which administers the program.

But TAP has failed to keep up with the rising costs of college, and funding for the program has remained relatively flat in recent years, Fahy told Newsday. The last time the state raised the income threshold was almost a quarter of a century ago, she said.

The Assembly’s budget plan would increase the income threshold to $125,000 for dependent students and certain independent students. It would raise the threshold to $60,000 from $40,000 for independent married students who have no other tax dependents, and increase to $30,000 from $10,000 for single, independent students with no other dependents.

The Senate’s version eliminates the differences between independent and dependent students and raises the threshold to $125,000 overall.

While both plans would increase the minimum award to $1,000, the Senate's also would raise the maximum award to $6,165 from $5,665.

The Assembly calls for allowing TAP awards for five years, in an effort to provide some flexibility to students who may not be able to complete school in four years because of a variety of factors, including mental health and changes in financial circumstances, Fahy said.

Affordability, attracting students

Addressing the affordability of higher education through TAP would also benefit public and private institutions that may be dealing with financial and enrollment declines, Fahy and higher education groups said.

“We certainly welcome the adjustments to TAP, especially the increases in the awards and raising the income level, that may help bring in more students,” said Fred Kowal, president of United University Professions, the union that represents State University of New York employees.

Kritika Bedi, 19, a Valley Stream resident and sophomore at Molloy University, said TAP has really helped her, especially as a first-generation college student.

“We kind of did struggle with money and financial aid, and TAP really helped me pursue higher education … and attend Molloy as a private, Catholic institution,” she told Newsday.

“Everything is so expensive, even groceries,” she said, so the change in income threshold would make a big difference.

But whether it ends up in the final budget could come down to cost.

The Senate’s TAP expansion plan would cost $138 million, while the Assembly’s plan is an estimated $118.3 million.

Hochul spokeswoman Katy Zielinski said the governor will work with the legislature to ensure the final budget invests in the state’s future while ensuring New York remains on a stable, long-term fiscal trajectory.