>>The recently passed New York State budget includes funding for the new Excelsior Scholarship Program, which will provide undergraduate tuition assistance to NYS residents attending SUNY or CUNY on a full-time basis. For the 2017-18 academic year, families may qualify for an award with a 2015 Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) under $100,000. It is anticipated that the amount of the Excelsior Scholarship will be based on the cost of tuition minus all other grants and scholarships such as TAP and Pell. The Excelsior Scholarship Program will be administered by Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC). The Excelsior Scholarship application is scheduled to be available in late-May. Students can sign-up to be notified by HESC when the application becomes available here.
In addition to income requirements, students must meet academic and residency requirements to qualify for and maintain this scholarship. For example, students must complete 30 credits per year to continue to receive the scholarship. Recipients must also live and work (if employed) in NYS for the number of years equal to the number of years the awards were received, otherwise the scholarship total will be converted to a loan (with a 0% interest rate).
HESC is currently in the process of writing the regulations which are expected to be available in the next few months. Our website will be updated as new information becomes available.
