Will Pell Grant and TAP funding stop after 8 semesters if my son needs 9 to graduate?

For Pell Grants, there is a lifetime eligibility limit of 12 semesters (or 6 years) of funding - so your son should be fine on that front for his 9th semester. However, TAP is trickier. In New York, standard TAP is generally limited to 8 semesters for a bachelor's degree program. There are some exceptions though! Has your son formally changed his major? Some programs allow for additional TAP funding if the student changed their approved program of study.

my daughter went thru the same thing!!!! switched from business to nursing and needed extra time. Pell was fine but the TAP ran out after 8 semesters no matter what we tried :( we had to take out an extra parent plus loan for that last semester it SUCKED

There are actually some nuances here worth understanding: 1. Pell Grants: The lifetime limit is 600% of eligibility (effectively 12 full-time semesters). Your son using 9 semesters would be at 450% usage, so he's within the limit. 2. TAP (NY): The standard is 8 semesters for a bachelor's degree. However, students in approved five-year programs can receive up to 10 semesters of TAP. Also, students with disabilities documented with the school's accessibility office may qualify for additional TAP semesters. 3. Important: Have your son talk to his financial aid office ASAP about a TAP extension waiver. They sometimes grant these for program changes, but it's not automatic and needs documentation. 4. Check if his school has any institutional grants that could replace the TAP for that final semester. You should definitely have him schedule a meeting with his financial aid counselor NOW, not when the 9th semester is approaching.

Your son should also check his SAI (Student Aid Index) for his final semester. Sometimes even with grants running out, the calculated need-based aid can increase if your family's financial situation qualifies. I'm dealing with a similar situation with my daughter who is going into her 5th year, and we found that while some aid ended, other aid increased to partially offset it.

im confused about something - isnt the pell grant maxed at like 7k per year? that barely covers anything anyway so does it even matter if it continues?? Not trying to be negative just wondering if its worth stressing about when tuition is like 30k+

I spent HOURS trying to call the financial aid office at my son's school about a similar issue. Getting a human on the phone was impossible! I finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) to connect with a real person at the Financial Aid office. Saved me so much frustration. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ Once I actually talked to someone, I found out there was a special form for requesting extended aid eligibility that wasn't even on their website. So definitely worth getting actual advice from a real person at the financial aid office.

This happened to my nephew last year. The financial aid office told him he needed to take MORE CREDITS his remaining semesters to finish in 8 instead of 9!!! They said it would be cheaper to overload with 18 credits for two semesters than pay full tuition without TAP for one semester. Might be worth looking into if your son can handle the academic load?

One thing nobody mentioned yet - check if your son's school has emergency completion grants!!! My daughter's university had special grants JUST FOR students in their last 1-2 semesters who were at risk of not finishing due to financial problems. She got $3500 for her final semester when her other aid ran out!

An update on the TAP situation - I just double-checked, and for TAP specifically, there is an extension program called TAP for Students Enrolled in Approved Five-Year Programs. If your son's current program (Biology) has a standard curriculum that typically takes more than 4 years, or if the switch from Engineering caused unavoidable delays, he might qualify. He needs to have his academic advisor document that the delay was due to the program change and that he's making satisfactory progress. This documentation needs to be submitted to the financial aid office, who then submits the extension request to HESC (Higher Education Services Corporation). Also, check if he's eligible for APTS (Aid for Part-Time Study) if he'll be taking fewer than 12 credits in that final semester.

Just wanted to chime in as someone who works in financial aid administration - the advice about getting documentation from your son's academic advisor is spot on! When students switch majors, especially from something like Engineering to Biology, there's often coursework that doesn't transfer directly, which can create legitimate delays. A few additional tips: 1) Have your son request a degree audit from his registrar's office showing exactly how many credits he needs and when he can realistically graduate, 2) Ask about summer courses or winter intersession classes that might help him finish sooner, and 3) Look into whether he can take any required courses at a community college during breaks and transfer them back (much cheaper if he does end up paying out of pocket). Also, don't forget about work-study opportunities or campus jobs that could help offset costs for that final semester. Many schools increase work-study awards for students in their final year who are facing financial hardship.

As a parent who went through something similar, I'd strongly recommend having your son meet with both his academic advisor AND financial aid counselor together if possible. When my daughter switched from pre-law to education, we discovered that having both offices coordinate made a huge difference in how her case was presented for aid extensions. Also, start looking into your state's other aid programs now - NY has several smaller grant programs that aren't as well-known but might help bridge any gaps. The Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) sometimes has emergency funds, and there's also the Senator José Peralta New York State DREAM Act if your son qualifies. One more thing - if he's pre-med, check if his school has any STEM-specific scholarships or completion grants. Many universities have special funding pools for students in high-demand majors who just need that final push to graduate.

I'm dealing with a very similar situation with my daughter who's also in her 4th year and will need an extra semester! One thing that really helped us was creating a comprehensive financial plan early. We met with the financial aid office in January of her junior year (as soon as we realized she'd need extra time) rather than waiting until senior year. What worked for us: 1) We documented everything about her major change and how it affected her graduation timeline, 2) Applied for every small scholarship and grant we could find - even $500 awards add up, and 3) Started setting aside money each month specifically for that potential 9th semester. Also, don't overlook your son's school's alumni network! Many schools have emergency funds or completion scholarships specifically donated by alumni to help students in their final semesters. These aren't always well-publicized, so you have to ask directly. The stress is real, but there are more options than you might think. Start the conversations now and you'll be in much better shape when that final semester arrives!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm finding this discussion incredibly valuable! My daughter is just starting her freshman year but is already considering switching from her current major, and reading about everyone's experiences with extended timelines and financial aid is really eye-opening. One question I have after reading through all these responses - for those who successfully got TAP extensions or other aid continuations, how far in advance did you start the application process? It sounds like documentation and paperwork can take time, so I'm wondering if there's an ideal timeline for getting everything submitted. Also, has anyone dealt with this situation at a SUNY school specifically? I'm curious if the process or available resources might be different within the state university system versus private colleges. Thank you all for sharing your experiences - this is exactly the kind of real-world advice that's so hard to find elsewhere!

This thread has been so incredibly helpful! I'm a newcomer here but dealing with almost the exact same situation. My son is a junior who switched from Computer Science to Psychology and will likely need that dreaded 9th semester. Reading through all these responses, I'm realizing we need to be way more proactive than we have been. The advice about meeting with both the academic advisor AND financial aid counselor together is brilliant - I never would have thought of that coordination approach. One thing I'm curious about that I haven't seen mentioned yet - has anyone dealt with this situation where the student is also considering graduate school? My son is thinking about going for his Master's in Psychology, and I'm wondering if there are any strategic considerations about how using that extra semester for undergrad might impact graduate school funding eligibility later on. Also, for those who successfully navigated the TAP extension process - did you find that having letters of support from professors or department chairs helped strengthen your case? My son has built good relationships with several faculty members who could potentially speak to how his major change was a thoughtful decision that put him on the right academic path. Thank you all for sharing your experiences so openly - this community is such a valuable resource for parents trying to navigate these complex financial aid situations!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm amazed by how helpful and detailed everyone's responses have been! I'm in a very similar situation with my daughter who's currently a junior and switched from Engineering to Environmental Science. She'll definitely need a 9th semester to graduate. Reading through all these experiences, I'm realizing I need to get much more organized about this process. The suggestion about creating a comprehensive timeline and documentation package is something I'm going to start working on immediately. One question I have that I haven't seen addressed yet - has anyone dealt with this situation where the student is also working part-time during the school year? My daughter has a campus job that she relies on for spending money and some living expenses. I'm wondering if there are any work-study implications for that extended semester, or if her current job could potentially help offset some of the costs if her aid gets reduced. Also, I'm curious about the appeals process timeline. For those who successfully got TAP extensions, how long did it typically take to get a decision? I want to make sure we start early enough that we'll know where we stand before that final semester begins. This thread has been such an eye-opener about options I didn't even know existed. Thank you all for sharing your experiences so generously!

As someone new to this community, I'm finding this discussion incredibly informative! My son is currently a sophomore considering switching from Business to Pre-Health, and reading about everyone's experiences with extended graduation timelines and financial aid implications is really helping me understand what we might be facing. One thing that strikes me from all these responses is how important early planning and documentation seems to be. It sounds like the families who were most successful in maintaining their financial aid were the ones who started the conversation with their schools well before that final semester arrived. I'm particularly interested in the advice about having the academic advisor and financial aid counselor work together. That collaborative approach makes so much sense, but I never would have thought to request that kind of coordination. For those who went through the TAP extension process successfully, did you find that certain types of documentation were more persuasive than others? I'm thinking specifically about academic transcripts showing the course overlap (or lack thereof) between majors versus letters from faculty. I want to make sure we're preparing the strongest possible case if we end up needing to go this route. Thank you all for sharing your experiences so openly - this kind of real-world advice is invaluable for parents trying to navigate these complex situations!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm incredibly grateful for all the detailed advice shared in this thread! My daughter is currently a freshman, but she's already expressing doubts about her current major (Communications) and is interested in switching to Nursing. Reading through everyone's experiences is helping me understand the potential financial implications we might face. What really stands out to me from all these responses is how crucial it is to start planning early and maintain detailed documentation throughout the process. The advice about coordinating between academic advisors and financial aid counselors is particularly valuable - I never would have thought about that collaborative approach. I'm curious about one aspect I haven't seen discussed yet - for those who successfully maintained their financial aid through extended programs, did you find that your school's nursing or other health science programs had any special provisions or funding opportunities? I know nursing programs often have different timelines and requirements than traditional four-year degrees, so I'm wondering if there might be program-specific aid available. Also, has anyone dealt with the situation where clinical rotations or hands-on requirements extended the timeline? Nursing programs often have very structured sequences that can't be rushed, so I want to understand if that creates different considerations for financial aid extensions. Thank you all for sharing your experiences so openly - this community is such a valuable resource for parents trying to navigate these complex decisions!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm finding this entire discussion incredibly valuable and timely! My son is currently a sophomore who recently switched from Mechanical Engineering to Chemistry, and we're just starting to realize he might need an extra semester or two to graduate. Reading through everyone's experiences, I'm struck by how much proactive planning seems to make a difference in these situations. The advice about getting both the academic advisor and financial aid counselor involved early, documenting everything, and exploring all the different aid options is exactly what I needed to hear. One thing I'm particularly curious about - for those who successfully navigated major changes from Engineering to other STEM fields, did you find that some of the technical coursework transferred over in ways that helped reduce the timeline impact? My son completed calculus, physics, and some chemistry courses in his Engineering track, and I'm hoping those might count toward his Chemistry degree requirements. Also, has anyone dealt with a situation where the student is considering graduate school in their new field? I'm wondering if there are any strategic considerations about undergraduate timeline and funding that might impact graduate school applications or financial aid eligibility later. Thank you all for sharing your experiences so openly - this community is proving to be such a valuable resource for navigating these complex financial aid situations!