About HESC

The New York State Higher Education Services Corporation is the State’s student financial aid agency, helping people pay for college by providing more grant and scholarship awards than any other state in the nation. By administering student financial aid programs, including the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP), offering college funding guidance, and administering a highly successful College Savings program, HESC puts college within the reach of hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers each year.

In 2010-11, HESC administered $991 million in grants, scholarships, other awards and federal Loans, including $855 million in Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) grants to 375,000 students. New York’s TAP continues to be one of the nation’s largest state-sponsored entitlement need based grant programs for student aid. Since its inception, TAP has awarded over $19 billion to 4.8 million students.

As the administrating agency for NY GEAR UP and the College Access Challenge Grant, HESC promotes opportunities to ensure the continuum from middle and high school to college for students who think the benefits of a higher education are out of reach.

HESC’s electronic TAP application, accessible directly from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), and online applications for State scholarships and awards, available on HESC.org, provide a convenient, fast and easy way for college-bound students and their parents to apply for aid.

Through HESC.org, students and parents can explore careers and colleges, and find out how to save money for college. HESC also assists schools and students with advanced default prevention, financial literacy and counseling programs, and provides training and technical services to college financial aid administrators and high school counselors.

For access to HESC's college planning and financing resources, visit HESC.org.