Confusion about TAP application - student ID vs FAFSA ID? Who completes it?

Your daughter should be the one filling out the TAP application since it's her educational benefit. The user ID is separate from the FAFSA FSA ID - she'll need to create a new account specifically for the NY State Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC) website. Once she creates an account, she can link her FAFSA information to her TAP application. Make sure she has her FAFSA confirmation number handy when she applies.

we did this last year. tap is NY thing not federal. new login. my son did his but i helped. needed his fafsa info when filling it out.

I've been through this THREE times with my kids 😩 The student has to create their own HESC account (different from FAFSA) and they need to complete the application themselves. However, as the parent, you will need to provide some of your financial information similar to what was on the FAFSA. The system will try to pull information from the FAFSA, but sometimes that link doesn't work and you have to manually enter everything again! It's so frustrating! And yes, your daughter needs her OWN account - don't use yours even if you have one from another child.

To clarify what others have said: 1. TAP is administered by NY State HESC, not the federal government, so it requires a separate account from the FAFSA. 2. The student must create their own HESC account and complete the application themselves (as the beneficiary). 3. You can start the TAP application immediately after submitting the FAFSA - no need to wait for processing. 4. The system will try to import FAFSA data, but you'll need the FAFSA confirmation number. 5. Important: If your daughter is considered a dependent student on FAFSA, she'll remain dependent for TAP purposes too. Make sure all the information matches exactly what was reported on the FAFSA to avoid verification issues later.

I HATED dealing with TAP last year!!! Nobody told me it was separate from FAFSA and we almost missed the deadline!! Make sure your daughter creates her OWN account on the HESC website (https://www.tap.hesc.ny.gov) and uses the email SHE checks regularly because they'll send important updates there. And YES she needs her FAFSA confirmation number not just the FSA ID. The whole thing is confusing for no reason!!

Have you tried calling HESC directly? I spent 3 hours trying to get through to FAFSA last month about a similar issue and kept getting disconnected. Then I found Claimyr (claimyr.com) which got me through to an agent in about 15 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ. HESC might also have long wait times and Claimyr might help there too. Talking to someone directly cleared up all my confusion about the IDs and who should fill out what.

I fill my TAP application every year and for me it was connected to my FAFSA, once I finish my FAFSA it takes me to the TAP application, no need to create a separate account. Maybe you need to go back to studentaid.gov and check if your application is complete? Sometimes there's a link at the end to start your state application.

After your daughter creates her HESC account and starts the TAP application, make sure to check the status regularly. The TAP award amounts are usually visible in her college's financial aid portal before they show up on the HESC website. Also, if your daughter is attending a SUNY or CUNY school, the TAP application is particularly important because those institutions will often hold off on finalizing the financial aid package until the TAP decision comes through.

For SUNY schools, TAP processing is usually 2-3 weeks if everything links properly from the FAFSA. However, if there are any discrepancies between the TAP and FAFSA information, it could trigger a verification process that might delay things by an additional 4-6 weeks. That's why it's so important to ensure all information matches exactly what was reported on the FAFSA. Regarding your earlier question about FAFSA corrections - yes, if you make corrections to the FAFSA later, you may need to update the TAP application separately. HESC doesn't always automatically import updated FAFSA information.

As someone new to this process, I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who shared their experiences! My son is also starting college this fall and I had no idea TAP was separate from FAFSA. This thread has been incredibly helpful - I was about to make the same mistake of thinking we could use the FSA ID. Now I know he needs to create his own HESC account and that we should have his FAFSA confirmation number ready. It's reassuring to know we're not the only ones finding this process confusing!

Just wanted to add one more tip that saved us a lot of headache - when your daughter creates her HESC account, make sure she uses the EXACT same name format that was used on the FAFSA. If her FAFSA says "Sarah Jane Smith" but she creates the TAP account as "Sarah Smith," it can cause issues with linking the applications. Also, keep screenshots of confirmation pages for both applications! We learned this the hard way when we needed to reference information later and couldn't remember exactly what we had submitted. The whole process is definitely overwhelming at first, but once you get through it the first time, renewals in subsequent years are much easier.

I'm so grateful I found this thread! My daughter and I are in the exact same situation - we just submitted her FAFSA last week and I was completely confused about the TAP application. I had no idea it was a separate system from FAFSA and was getting frustrated trying to figure out the login situation. Reading through everyone's experiences has been a huge relief - at least now I know we're not the only ones who found this process confusing! The tip about having the FAFSA confirmation number ready and making sure all the name formatting matches exactly is gold. We're going to tackle the TAP application this weekend with all this helpful advice. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and made this much less overwhelming!

I'm also a newcomer to this financial aid process and this thread has been incredibly enlightening! My daughter is a high school senior and we're just starting to navigate all of this. I had absolutely no clue that TAP was separate from FAFSA - I assumed once we completed the FAFSA, we were done with applications. Reading everyone's experiences has saved us from making the same mistakes. The detail about using the exact same name format between applications is something I never would have thought of but makes total sense. It's so reassuring to see a community where parents are willing to share their hard-learned lessons to help others avoid the same pitfalls. I'm definitely bookmarking this thread to reference when we start our applications next month!