Unlock Free College: Excelsior Scholarship

The Excelsior Scholarship grants tuition to qualified students attending New York State’s public colleges and universities (SUNY and CUNY). This award, when combined with other student financial aid programs, allows students to attend SUNY colleges tuition-free.

Eligibility of the Excelsior Scholarship

be a resident of NYS and have lived in NYS for 12 consecutive months previous to the beginning of the term;
be a US citizen or an eligible non-citizen.
Have either graduated from high school in the United States, obtained a high school equivalency diploma, or completed a federally recognized “Ability to Benefit” test, as determined by the Commissioner of the State Education Department.
To qualify, applicants must have a combined federal adjusted gross income of $125,000 or less and be pursuing an undergraduate degree at a SUNY or CUNY college, including statutory colleges like Cornell University and Alfred University.
Enroll in at least 12 credits per term applicable to your degree program and obtain at least 30 credits per year applicable to your degree program.
If you attended college previous to the academic year for which an award is sought, you must have earned at least 30 credits per year (continuously enrolled) related to your degree program before applying for an Excelsior Scholarship.
To be eligible, you must not be in default on a student loan or repay a NYS award. Additionally, you must adhere to the service conditions imposed by a previous NYS award.
Execute a contract promising to reside in New York State for the duration of the award and, if employed, to remain employed in New York State.

If you were informed that you are ineligible because your household federal adjusted gross income (AGI) exceeds $125,000, but your income has been adversely affected by a disability, divorce, or legal separation of the applicant, parent, or spouse, or the death of a parent or spouse, you may be able to use your current income to establish income eligibility.

Requirements for the Excelsior Scholarship

You must live and work in New York State for the time period specified in the award. You will be asked to sign a contract with the Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC) accepting these terms.

Failure to complete the Excelsior Scholarship program conditions will result in the conversion of your award to a loan.

How to Apply

The application for the New York State Excelsior Scholarship is available on the New York State Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC) website twice per academic year, often in the summer and winter. When the application is closed, students can sign up for email notifications from HESC to be notified when it is made available again.

Students are only required to complete the Excelsior Scholarship once; however, an FAFSA and TAP application must be completed each academic aid year.

Step 1: Fill out and submit your FAFSA form.

Step 2: Complete and submit your TAP application.

Step 3: Complete the Excelsior Scholarship application. (Current Excelsior grantees do not need to complete the application again.)

Scholarship Reward

Covers tuition costs at a SUNY or CUNY college. Students can attend a state-run SUNY or CUNY institution tuition-free. This is a “last-dollar” scholarship. Any federal or NYS grants or scholarships, including PELL and TAP, are applied to tuition first, with the Excelsior Scholarship covering any residual tuition costs.