Gov. Hochul Announces Part-Time TAP Eligibility for SUNY Canton Microcredentials

Canton, NY (02/14/2024) — Gov. Kathy Hochul recently announced that nine SUNY Canton microcredentials and two workforce certification programs will be eligible for New York State's Part-time, Non-Degree Tuition Assistance Program (TAP), which provides direct financial aid to students.

Microcredentials are designed to be completed in a shorter timeframe than a college degree, taking one or two semesters to complete, and provide immediate evidence of skills mastered via a college transcript or digital badge. Credits earned can also be applied toward a degree at a later date.

"Cost is often a major barrier to education, so this expansion of TAP increases the accessibility and affordability of earning a microcredential," said SUNY Canton President Zvi Szafran. "We offer many flexible, short-term options that help New Yorkers advance their careers or change fields, while fulfilling the state's workforce needs."

Beginning this semester, students who qualify for TAP can use the funding toward earning any of the following online microcredentials:

• Child Care: Students learn about the foundation of early childhood care and education. Through the development of skills ensuring the well-being of a young child, students gain a greater understanding of health, safety and nutrition principles.
• Cybersecurity and Recovery in Healthcare: Courses address the need for data security and protection of patients' records in health care information systems.
• Cybersecurity Principles: Students gain valuable knowledge in the distinct phases of information security and assurance, covering both technical and business perspectives.
• Data Science: Students learn the distinct phases of data science, a fast-growing field and essential skill for those working in today's businesses and organizations.
• Forensic Accounting: Courses explore topics such as fraud prevention, detection, and correction of financial fraud and white-collar crime. Students learn how to identify financial risk areas, craft internal control policies, and understand the role of a forensic accountant in the courtroom.
• Healthcare Leadership: Courses examine current healthcare challenges and how they impact access, cost, quality and patient experience.
• Medical Coding: Students acquire skills for employment across diverse healthcare settings and are prepared for the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) and American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) certification exams.
• Network Security: Courses cover the distinct phases of network intrusion, detection, prevention, control and countermeasures. Students learn how to pinpoint vulnerabilities within computer networks and discover effective countermeasures to mitigate risks and damage.
• Nursing Home Administration: Tailored for working professionals holding a bachelor's degree, this microcredential explores healthcare ethics and law, organizational financial management, operational management, residential care, and environmental management.

Two SUNY Canton non-credit workforce programs also qualify for the new TAP benefits:

• CDL Commercial Truck Driver Training: Class A and B Tractor-Trailer training is an 8-10 week program consisting of 10 hours of classroom instruction and 40 hours of one-on-one, behind-the-wheel training.
• New York Security Guard Training: This pre-assignment course is an 8-hour training required by New York State as the first step in obtaining a security guard registration card from the New York State Department of State.

For more information about programs, visit https://www.canton.edu/wcip/noncredit/tap/ or contact SUNY Canton's Center for Workforce, Community and Industry Partnerships Executive Director Elizabeth A. Brown at ericksone@canton.edu. For questions about eligibility, contact SUNY Canton's Financial Aid Office at finaid@canton.edu.