New York state’s outdated Tuition Assistance Program is long overdue for change.

The program provides additional financial aid to residents of New York who attend schools in the state, and currently has a $5,000 cap per student. TAP’s policies were created in 2001, and haven’t changed in the last 13 years.

Not only does this lack of change mean TAP does not account for a different economy, it also doesn’t account for a different college culture from 2001.

The tuition cost for Syracuse University in 2001 was $20,816 a year, according to collegecalc.org. In 2014, it costs nearly twice as much at $40,380, according to SU’s website. While the tuition costs for SU have nearly doubled since 2001, TAP hasn’t changed at all. SU, along with federal financial aid, accounts for tuition increases each time it changes and TAP should do the same.

Between 2001–14, there have been many factors that made going to college more difficult, including a recession. TAP should take that into consideration and update its policies. For the future, it should also update its policies periodically, to make sure it stays up-to-date.

TAP’s standards also exclude many students, possibly taking away their college opportunity. Currently, TAP is only available for students who go to college straight after high school. This means that prospective college students aren’t able to take a year off before college, even if they delay for a year for mitigating circumstances, such as health or family issues.

TAP also has negative effects for students who are at universities for more than four years. As TAP is only available for four years, it would cut off funding for students in five year programs, such as SU’s architecture school and the industrial design program.   

The program’s regulations also discourage students from working part-time jobs, as those who make a certain income are disqualified from TAP. “A 20-year-old could be ineligible for TAP if they earn more than $10,000,” said Jeniea Howard, NYPIRG’s Higher Education intern.

While $10,000 may have been a lot in 2001, it’s $5,080 less than an annual minimum wage salary today.

By not changing its policies, TAP becomes insufficient for many students in NY. The program should be updated it before it becomes obsolete.

Published on March 27, 2014 at 1:00 am

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