New York State

TAPping in: Is the Tuition Assistance Program Still Meeting Need?

New York’s Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) has not kept pace with inflation or rising tuition costs since the 2008-09 academic year. Undergraduate TAP recipients dropped by 77,000 (21%), with steep declines among two-year programs (45%), private-sector schools (40%), and the lowest income households (38%). Recent State actions to expand eligibility for TAP helped lead to an increase in TAP beneficiaries in AY 2024-25; however, continued attention to the program is critical as students face mounting debt levels and federal support is reduced.

Violent and Disruptive Incidents and Bullying in New York Schools – A Review of School Safety and Educational Climate Data

This report explores publicly available School Safety and Educational Climate (SSEC) data from the New York State Education Department for School Years (SY) 2017-18 through 2023-24. Included is a trend analysis of several “violent and disruptive” incidents (e.g., assault, sexual offenses, weapons possession, bullying, cyberbullying and drug and alcohol incidents), the impact of the SY 2021-22 SSEC incident definition changes for several serious categories, and schools that reported no violent and disruptive incidents.