FAFSA TAP application won't let me add both unmarried parents' income - NY issue?

This is actually how the TAP application is designed. Unlike FAFSA which collects information from both parents regardless of marital status when they live together, NYS TAP only considers the income of one parent in cases where the parents were never married. It's confusing because the two systems don't align, but for TAP you typically report the income of the parent who provides more financial support OR the parent you lived with more during the past 12 months. NYS follows different rules than federal aid for this specific situation.

Are you serious? That seems so unfair! My FAFSA SAI calculation is using both parents' incomes but TAP is only using one? So my state aid is going to be calculated as if I'm poorer than I am according to FAFSA? That actually might help me get more TAP money, but it seems weird and inconsistent...

I had the exact same problem!! I'm in NY too and my parents arnt married eihter. I ended up just putting my mom's income since she's my primary custodial parent. Got approved for full TAP even though my FAFSA eligibility was lower bc it counted both parents. Weird system but whatever works i guess lol

That's actually good to hear. So I should just pick the parent with LOWER income to potentially get more aid? Or should I choose the one I live with more? The instructions are so vague.

I just picked my mom who I lived with most of the time AND who made less money, so win-win lol. But I think your supposed to pick whoever u lived with more than 50% of the time. Thats what my guidance counselor said anyway

This is a common point of confusion with NY state's TAP program versus federal FAFSA. The systems have different rules for determining dependency and income reporting. Here's the official explanation:\n\nFor TAP, when parents are not married to each other and do not live together, you only report information about the parent you lived with more during the past 12 months. If you did not live with one parent more than the other, you would provide information about the parent who provided more financial support.\n\nIt's not a system error - this is how TAP is designed to work. You aren't doing anything wrong by only reporting one parent's information in this scenario.

Thank you for the clear explanation! This makes much more sense now. I guess I'll report my dad's information since I lived with him more this past year. It just seemed like something was broken with the application when I couldn't add both parents.

This is exactly why I hate the whole financial aid system. FAFSA says one thing, state aid says another, and then individual colleges have their own formulas too! I had to deal with this same TAP issue last year. Spent hours trying to figure out why I couldn't enter both parents. Ended up having to call them and waiting FOREVER just to be told

Same experience. The whole system is designed to be confusing on purpose i swear

I was dealing with this exact issue last month and spent TWO DAYS trying to reach someone at HESC about it. Kept getting disconnected or waiting for hours. Finally used a service called Claimyr that got me through to an actual person within 20 minutes (https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ). The agent confirmed what others have said - for unmarried parents, TAP only considers one parent's income, and you should choose the custodial parent you lived with more. It's just how the NY state system works even though it's inconsistent with FAFSA. Saved me so much frustration once I actually talked to someone who could explain it clearly.

Thanks for the tip about Claimyr. If I run into any more problems I might try that. It's crazy how hard it is to get actual help with these applications! At least now I know I'm not going crazy and the system really is designed this way.

your post wasn't deleted, i saw it yesterday but i think it might have been moved to a different thread. the mods here sometimes combine similar topics

Oh that makes sense! I should have searched better. Thanks!

One important thing to note: make sure your TAP application matches your FAFSA in terms of WHICH parent you're living with more. If you put contradictory information, it might flag your application for verification, which is a whole other headache to deal with. I've seen students get delayed aid because the parent info didn't align between applications, even though the systems have different requirements.

That's a really good point I hadn't considered. On my FAFSA I indicated I lived with both parents equally with joint custody, but on TAP I'll need to pick one. I should probably make sure other details about that parent match between both applications.

wait is this just a new york thing?? in california we have to include both parents even if theyre not married on all our state aid forms

Yes, this is specific to New York's TAP program. Every state has their own state aid programs with different rules - California's Cal Grants follow different guidelines than NY's TAP. This is why it's always important to check the specific requirements for your state's financial aid programs, as they often don't perfectly align with federal FAFSA rules.

The whole system is RIGGED anyway. My parents make too much on paper for me to qualify for anything substantial, but they don't actually contribute anything to my education. I have to take out massive loans while these aid programs pretend my parents are supporting me. They should be looking at actual contributions, not just income numbers!!!

OMG same!!! My dad makes \

This is unfortunately a common situation. For students in this position, I recommend looking into professional judgment reviews (sometimes called financial aid appeals) at your specific college. Financial aid officers have some discretion to adjust your aid if you can document that your parents aren't contributing despite their income. It won't help with TAP specifically, but might improve your overall aid package.

To wrap this up for anyone else who might find this thread: For NY State TAP with unmarried parents who don't live together, you report ONLY the income of the parent you lived with more during the past 12 months. If equal time with both parents, then you report the parent who provided more financial support. This differs from FAFSA which typically requires both parents' information when they have joint custody. It's not a system error - it's by design, even if it seems inconsistent between the two aid programs.

Thank you so much to everyone who helped clarify this! I'm going to proceed with just entering my dad's information since I lived with him slightly more this year. Fingers crossed for decent TAP funding!

Just wanted to add my experience as someone who went through this exact situation two years ago! I also had unmarried parents with joint custody and was so confused when TAP wouldn't accept both incomes. After reading all the responses here, I realize I made the right choice by going with my mom's info (she was the custodial parent I lived with more). One tip: when you submit your TAP application, save a copy of everything and keep notes about which parent you chose and why. I had to reference this later when my college's financial aid office asked about the discrepancy between my FAFSA and TAP applications. Having documentation of my reasoning helped speed up the verification process. Good luck with your application!

This thread has been incredibly helpful - I'm a freshman applicant and was getting so frustrated with the TAP system! My parents divorced when I was little but have joint custody, and I was pulling my hair out trying to figure out why I couldn't enter both their incomes like I did on FAFSA. Reading through everyone's experiences, it sounds like I should go with my mom's information since I technically spend slightly more time at her house (weekdays vs weekends with dad). It's such a relief to know this is actually how the system is supposed to work and not just some glitch. Thanks to everyone who shared their stories - this community is a lifesaver for navigating all this confusing financial aid stuff!

I'm dealing with this exact same issue right now! My parents have been separated for years but never officially divorced, and I was going crazy trying to figure out why TAP wouldn't accept both their incomes when FAFSA did. Reading through all these responses has been SO helpful - I had no idea that NY state intentionally designed the system this way. It's honestly pretty frustrating that there's such a disconnect between federal and state aid requirements. I live with my mom during the school year and my dad during summers/holidays, so I think I'll go with my mom's info since that's technically more than 50% of the time. Has anyone had experience with this kind of "separated but not divorced" situation for TAP, or is it treated the same as never-married parents? Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this thread should honestly be pinned somewhere because this seems to come up a lot!

As someone who just went through this process last year, I want to echo what others have said and add one more piece of advice: when you call HESC (if you need to), make sure to ask them to note your file that you confirmed the single-parent reporting requirement for unmarried/separated parents. I had a situation where different representatives gave me conflicting information initially, and having that note in my file saved me from having to re-explain the whole situation multiple times. Also, don't stress too much about potentially getting "more" aid from TAP than you would if they counted both parents - the system is designed this way intentionally, and you're not gaming anything by following their rules correctly. The whole point is that different aid programs have different methodologies for determining need. You're doing everything right by reporting just your dad's info since you lived with him more!

Just wanted to jump in as someone who's been helping students navigate NY financial aid for a while - this thread is absolutely gold for anyone dealing with the unmarried/separated parents TAP situation! I see this confusion come up constantly, and honestly, the lack of clear communication from HESC about how TAP differs from FAFSA is really frustrating. A few additional tips for anyone finding this thread: 1) If you're unsure which parent to choose, go with whoever you can honestly say you lived with more during the past 12 months - don't overthink it or try to game the system, 2) Keep records of your choice and reasoning like others mentioned, and 3) Remember that this is totally legitimate - you're not doing anything wrong by reporting only one parent when that's literally what the system requires. The fact that so many students think the application is broken shows how poorly this is communicated by the state. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences here - threads like this are incredibly valuable for future students facing the same confusion!