N.Y. Comp. Codes R. & Regs. tit. 8, § 145-2.3 – Approved programs for general and academic performance awards.

(a) The commissioner shall periodically provide each approved institution of postsecondary education in the State with a list of registered programs approved by the commissioner for purposes of general and academic performance awards in that institution, and such institution shall certify as attending approved programs of study only those students enrolled in programs included in such list, except as otherwise specifically authorized by the commissioner because of administrative error, pending registration, or other special circumstances. Copies of all such lists of registered programs shall be provided to the president of the Higher Education Services Corporation for use in implementing the purposes of this section.
(b) Approved programs, for general and academic performance awards other than part-time tuition awards and tuition awards for Vietnam veterans, where authorized and specified by statute, shall be defined as follows:
1. (1) Collegiate level programs shall denote those programs registered by the State Education Department under section 52.2 of this Title or other appropriate regulation applying to a program leading to a degree, or leading to a diploma or certificate fully creditable towards a degree in an institution authorized to grant degrees. Approved diploma and certificate programs shall be of at least one academic year's duration. Programs registered under section 52.22 of this Title shall not be considered collegiate level programs. Further, post-doctoral programs leading to specialty certification, such as in psychoanalysis or orthodonture, shall not be considered diploma or certificate programs within the intent of articles 13 and 14 of the Education Law.
2. (2) Noncollegiate programs.
  1. (i) Hospital programs of professional nursing. Such programs shall denote programs registered by the State Education Department under section 52.12(a)(1) of this Title as programs offered by a hospital nursing school and approved by the Regents as leading to licensure as a registered professional nurse.
  2. (ii) Other health-related programs. Such programs shall denote other programs that lead to licensure as a licensed practical nurse registered by the State Education Department section 52.12(a)(2) of this Title, or to certification in an area of medical or health technology, and that are registered, licensed or approved by the State Education Department or by the State Department of Health.
  3. (iii) Two-year programs in licensed private career schools. Such programs shall denote programs of at least 1440 instructional hours' duration that are offered by licensed private career schools not authorized to grant degrees and that are registered by the State Education Department under Part 126 of this Title.
(c) When a licensed private career school or when an institution is authorized by the Regents to grant degrees, the effective date of the eligibility of students attending such institution to receive awards shall be the beginning of the academic year in which such action is taken by the Regents. When a program is registered by the commissioner, the effective date of the eligibility of students enrolled in such program shall be the date on which the program is registered, unless the registration is specifically made retroactive to an earlier date.
(d) Programs approved for a Regents award for children of deceased and disabled veterans, and a Regents award for children of deceased State correction officers and State civilian employees of a correction facility, shall be the same as programs approved for a Regents college scholarship.
(e) Programs approved for part-time tuition awards pursuant to section 666 of the Education Law shall be credit-bearing undergraduate degree, certificate, and diploma programs offered by an institution authorized to grant degrees, which are registered by the State Education Department pursuant to Part 52 of this Title or other appropriate regulation.
(f) Programs approved for tuition awards for Vietnam veterans shall be undergraduate programs in degree-granting institutions of at least 12 semester hours or the equivalent which are registered by the State Education Department pursuant to Part 52 of this Title, or noncredit vocational training programs of at least 320 clock hours or the equivalent which have been approved by the commissioner pursuant to Part 162 of this Title.