<p>Could it be that perhaps OP has not always been a citizen. Maybe he became a naturalized citizen when his parents became citizens. (OP states he was living in California in Kindergarten, not s/he was born in California). If OP became a citizen though his/her parents, maybe all of his paperwork was not updated.</p>
<p>Regarding TAP</p>
<p>The maximum income for TAP is 80k. However, IF he has an EFC that makes him ineligible for Pell, While he may get some money from TAP, it is highly unlikely that he is going to receive enough TAP to cover SUNY tuition. Max TAP is currently $4995 (there will most likely be a decrease in the next year).</p>
<p>OP could run his numbers through the estimator to get an idea as to how much s/he could expect to receive from TAP</p>
<p>[Quick</a> TAP Estimator](<a href=“http://www.hesc.com/content.nsf/CA/Quick_TAP_Estimator]Quick”>http://www.hesc.com/content.nsf/CA/Quick_TAP_Estimator)</p>