Parent PLUS Loans count as financial assistance for TAP application?

Yes, you should answer YES to both questions. Parent PLUS loans definitely count as financial assistance from your parents even though the funds went directly to your school. The purpose of these TAP questions is to determine your level of financial dependence on your parents. Since your parent is legally responsible for the Parent PLUS loan (not you), it's considered parental support. Don't overthink the 'physically receiving the money' part - it's about who's providing the financial assistance.

i think it depends on whos name the loan is in? parent plus is in ur parents name not urs so yeah thats them giving u money. but if u have ur own loans thats different

UGHHH I hate these TAP questions!!! I answered NO to this last year because my parents' Parent PLUS loan went directly to the bursar and I never saw a penny of it. Got denied for TAP and had to appeal. Took FOREVER to fix and I almost lost my housing because of delayed funds. Definitely mark YES!!!

The Parent PLUS loan question trips up so many students on the TAP application. Here's a simple way to think about it: if your parent is taking financial responsibility for your education costs (through any means - loans, cash, etc.), you should answer YES. It doesn't matter if the money passed through your hands or went straight to the school. Also worth noting - TAP is looking at your dependency status, and having parents who provide substantial financial support (over $750) is one factor they use to determine if you're dependent or independent for state aid purposes.

Have you tried calling the NYS Higher Education Services Corporation to ask? Every time I've called about TAP questions I've been stuck on hold for 2+ hours and then gotten disconnected. So frustrating!

wait is tap different from fafsa??? i thought they were the same thing??

Just to share my experience - I answered YES to this question because my mom got a Parent PLUS loan for me, and I received the maximum TAP award I qualified for. The financial aid officer at my school told me that for TAP purposes, they consider Parent PLUS loans as parental support regardless of where the money physically goes.

Does anyone know if they verify your answers with your parents or FAFSA data? I'm paranoid about them cross-checking everything.

Just went through this exact same situation last month! The way I thought about it was: if my parent is legally obligated to pay back that $14,500 Parent PLUS loan (which they are), then they're essentially providing me with $14,500 in financial assistance. It doesn't matter that the money never touched my bank account - what matters is that my parent took on that debt to cover my education costs. I marked YES on both questions and had no issues with my TAP application. Better to be honest and answer YES than risk having to deal with appeals later!

I just want to echo what everyone else is saying - definitely answer YES to both questions! I made this mistake my freshman year and answered NO because I thought since the Parent PLUS loan went directly to my school's bursar office, it didn't count as money "from my parents." Big mistake! My TAP application got flagged for review and I had to provide tons of documentation to prove my family's financial situation. The whole process delayed my aid by months and caused so much stress. The TAP office explained that Parent PLUS loans are considered parental financial support because your parent is the one legally responsible for repaying the loan. It's their debt, taken on to support your education, so it counts as assistance from them to you. Don't overthink the logistics of where the money went - focus on who's providing the financial support!

I went through this exact same confusion last year! The way my financial aid advisor explained it to me was really helpful: think of it as "who is financially responsible for your education costs?" Since your dad took out the Parent PLUS loan in HIS name and HE is legally obligated to repay it, he's essentially providing you with $14,500 in financial support - even though the money went directly to your school. The TAP application is trying to determine your level of financial independence, and having a parent take on debt specifically for your education definitely shows you're receiving parental financial assistance. I answered YES to both questions and received my full TAP award without any issues. Trust me, it's much better to answer honestly upfront than deal with the nightmare of appeals and documentation requests later!

I'm a financial aid counselor and I see this question come up ALL the time with students! You absolutely should answer YES to both questions. Here's the simple rule: if your parent is legally obligated to repay a loan that was used for your education expenses, it counts as financial assistance from your parent - regardless of whether the money passed through your hands or went directly to the school. The Parent PLUS loan is in your dad's name, he's responsible for repaying it, and it was specifically taken out to cover your educational costs. That's textbook parental financial assistance. Don't let the "receiving" language throw you off - TAP cares about who's providing the financial support, not the payment logistics. Answer YES and avoid potential delays or appeals!

I had this same exact confusion when I filled out my TAP application! I kept going back and forth on whether to answer YES or NO because like you said, I never actually "received" the Parent PLUS loan money - it went straight from the government to my school's bursar office. But after reading through all these responses and doing some research, I realized I was thinking about it wrong. The key thing is that my mom is the one who's legally responsible for paying back that loan, which means she's essentially providing me with financial assistance even though I never touched the money. I ended up answering YES to both questions and my TAP application went through without any issues. Don't stress too much about it - just be honest about your family's financial situation and you'll be fine!

As someone who just went through this process successfully, I can confirm what everyone else is saying - definitely answer YES to both questions! I was in the exact same boat last year with a Parent PLUS loan that went directly to my school, and I initially thought I should answer NO because I "didn't receive the money." But my school's financial aid office explained it perfectly: your parent is taking on legal debt specifically for YOUR education, which makes it financial assistance regardless of where the funds flow. I answered YES on my TAP application and received my award without any complications. The alternative - answering NO and potentially having to go through appeals - is way more stressful than just being straightforward about your family's financial support situation. You've got this!

I'm new to the TAP application process and this thread has been incredibly helpful! I was facing the exact same dilemma with my Parent PLUS loan situation. My mom took out a $12,000 Parent PLUS loan that went directly to my college, and I was so confused about whether to answer YES or NO to those TAP questions. Reading everyone's experiences here - especially from the financial aid counselor and people who actually went through this successfully - has really clarified things for me. The key insight that helped me the most was thinking about "who is legally responsible for the debt" rather than "who physically received the money." Since my mom is the one who will be paying back that loan, she's essentially providing me with $12,000 in financial assistance for my education. I'm definitely going to answer YES to both questions now. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and helping newcomers like me navigate this confusing process!

I'm dealing with this exact same situation right now! My parents took out a Parent PLUS loan for $16,000 this year and I've been staring at those TAP questions for days, going back and forth on how to answer. Reading through all these responses has been such a huge help - it's clear that I should answer YES to both questions. The way everyone explained it about focusing on who's legally responsible for the loan rather than where the money physically went really makes it click. My dad is the one who will be paying back that $16,000 loan for the next however many years, so he's definitely providing me with financial assistance even though I never saw the money. I was so worried about answering wrong and messing up my TAP eligibility, but now I feel confident moving forward. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this community is amazing for helping nervous students like me navigate these confusing applications!

I just wanted to add my experience as someone who recently went through this exact situation! I had a Parent PLUS loan for $13,000 that went directly to my school, and I was so confused about those TAP questions. After reading through NYS HESC guidance and talking to my financial aid office, I learned that the key is understanding what "financial assistance from parents" actually means in the context of dependency determination. It's not about whether you physically handled the money - it's about whether your parents are providing financial support for your education costs. Since Parent PLUS loans are entirely your parent's legal responsibility (you're not even a co-signer!), they're considered parental support regardless of payment logistics. I answered YES to both questions and received my TAP award without any issues. The peace of mind from answering accurately was definitely worth it!

This thread has been so incredibly helpful! I'm a junior at SUNY Albany and I've been wrestling with this exact same Parent PLUS loan question on my TAP renewal. My parents took out a $15,200 Parent PLUS loan that went straight to my school's bursar office, and I kept flip-flopping between YES and NO because I was so focused on the fact that I never "received" the actual money. But reading everyone's experiences here - especially the financial aid counselor's explanation - has completely cleared it up for me. The key insight is focusing on who bears the legal responsibility for repayment, not the payment mechanics. Since my parents are 100% responsible for paying back that loan, it's definitely financial assistance from them to me, period. I'm answering YES to both questions and submitting my TAP application today. Thank you all for sharing your stories and helping fellow students avoid the stress of appeals and delays!

I'm a financial aid administrator and I see this exact question multiple times every week during TAP application season! You should absolutely answer YES to both questions. Here's the bottom line: Parent PLUS loans are considered parental financial assistance because your parent is the borrower and legally obligated to repay the debt, regardless of where the funds are disbursed. The TAP application is designed to assess your financial dependency, and when a parent takes on educational debt on your behalf, that's a clear indicator of financial support. The disbursement logistics (school vs. student) don't change the fundamental fact that your parent is providing financial assistance for your education. I always tell students: when in doubt on TAP questions, err on the side of full disclosure rather than risk verification issues later. You're making the right choice by seeking clarity before submitting!

As someone who just completed my TAP application after going through this same exact confusion, I can't stress enough how helpful this thread has been! I was in the identical situation - my mom took out a Parent PLUS loan for $11,500 that went directly to my school, and I spent way too much time overthinking whether I "received" the money or not. But after reading all these experiences and especially the explanations from the financial aid professionals here, it's crystal clear that the answer should be YES to both questions. The way I finally understood it was this: my mom is legally on the hook for paying back that $11,500 loan for years to come, specifically because she wanted to help cover my education costs. That's the definition of financial assistance, regardless of whether the money passed through my bank account or went straight to the bursar. I submitted my TAP application yesterday with YES marked for both questions, and I feel so much more confident knowing I answered honestly and accurately. To anyone else struggling with this same question - trust the advice in this thread and don't overthink it!