Excelsior Scholarship Program

Excelsior Scholarship Program
Financial Aid for New York State Students

The Excelsior Scholarship Program is a transformative opportunity that is redefining access to higher education in New York State. As the first of its kind in the nation, this groundbreaking program enables eligible students to attend a SUNY or CUNY college tuition-free, making the dream of a college degree more attainable than ever before. By covering tuition costs after other financial aid has been applied, the Excelsior Scholarship lifts a significant financial burden off students and their families, allowing them to focus on academic success rather than student debt.

Beyond making college more affordable, the program also invests in New York’s future by requiring recipients to live and work in the state after graduation for a duration equal to the number of years they received the scholarship. This ensures that New York’s workforce continues to grow with skilled and educated professionals, strengthening communities and driving economic growth. The Excelsior Scholarship is more than just financial aid—it’s a commitment to student success, a thriving workforce, and a stronger New York for generations to come.

The Excelsior Scholarship Program offers eligible New York State residents the opportunity to attend state-operated SUNY or CUNY colleges tuition-free. To qualify, applicants must have a combined federal adjusted gross income of $125,000 or less, be enrolled full-time in an undergraduate program, complete at least 30 credits per year, and agree to live and work in New York State for a duration equal to the number of years the scholarship was received. The program covers tuition expenses after accounting for other federal and state grants or scholarships.

In order to determine your potential award a student must complete the FAFSA and TAP application or DREAM Act application each year for payment

Undergraduate TAP Code: 0875

Application and deadlines

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

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

Step 1: Complete and submit your FAFSA form.

Step 2: Complete and submit your TAP application

Step 3: Complete your Excelsior Scholarship application. (Current Excelsior recipients do not need to complete the application a second time.)

Note: Undocumented students may skip Step 1 and file the TAP application under the New York State DREAM Act.

Eligibility Requirements

To qualify for Excelsior Scholarship, students must meet the following requirements:

- Your household combined federal adjusted gross income must be $125,000 or less.
- You must be in good standing (a non-default status) on a student loan made under any NYS or federal education loan program or on the repayment of any NYS award.
- You must be in compliance with the terms of the service condition(s) imposed by any NYS award that you have previously received.
Has your income been adversely affected due to a disability, divorce, or separation of the applicant, parent, or spouse or the death of a parent or spouse?

If you were notified that you are ineligible because your household federal adjusted gross income (AGI) is greater than $125,000, but your income was adversely affected due to a disability, divorce or legal separation of the applicant, parent or spouse or the death of a parent or spouse, you may be eligible to use your current income to establish income eligibility.

Additional Information:
To request a review of your eligibility, complete the Income Eligibility Determination Form and upload to the HESCPIN Authentication page. Review the following section of the HESC website
To receive the Scholarship, you must meet the following residency requirements:
- You are a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen and
- You are a legal resident of New York State and have resided in New York State for 12 continuous months.
Not a citizen or eligible noncitizen? Learn more about the NYS DREAM Act application.
High School, GED, or Ability to Benefit
- Graduated from a High School in the U.S.; earned a high school equivalency diploma (GED) or passed a federally approved "Ability to Benefit" test.
College & Program

Once in college, you must meet the following requirements:
- Be pursuing an undergraduate degree at a SUNY or CUNY college, including community colleges and the statutory colleges at Cornell University and Alfred University.
- Be enrolled full-time in at least 12 credits per term and complete at least 30 credits each year (successively), applicable toward your degree program. If you attended college prior to the 2024-25 academic year, you must have earned at least 30 credits each year (successively), applicable toward your degree program prior to applying for an Excelsior Scholarship.
- Continuously enrolled without any pauses in enrollment.
Opportunity Programs

If you are in an opportunity program, the Excelsior Scholarship allows five years to complete your bachelor’s degree and requires completion of 24 credits each academic year.
Scholarship recipients must be continuously enrolled, full-time, at a SUNY or CUNY college and complete at least 30 credits each year (successively). A pause in enrollment or a reduction in the required credits is only allowable for the following reasons:
- You experience the death of an immediate family member.
- You are called to active military duty.
- You interrupt your studies to take care of your newborn child (parental leave).
- Your medical or health care provider determines that your medical condition or mental health prevents you from beginning or continuing the term or from continuing a full-time course load.
- You interrupt your studies to provide care for an immediate family member who needs extra care due to health needs, as confirmed by their medical or health care provider.
Credit Requirement

An applicant who is not on track to complete an associate degree in two consecutive years or a bachelor's degree in four consecutive years (which requires the completion of an average of 30 credits per year) can catch up on missing credits to become eligible for an Excelsior Scholarship. Students initially deemed ineligible due to insufficient credits who then caught up on credits must reapply for the scholarship once they meet the credit requirements.
Recipients must agree to:
- Reside in New York State for a duration equal to the number of years you received the scholarship and
- If employed during such time, be employed in New York State.
For example, if you received the award for four years, you will be required to live and work in New York State for four years.

If you move out of New York State before you complete your residency requirement, all or part of your award will be converted to a no-interest loan.

For more detailed information, please review the Excelsior Scholarship Contract .

Award amounts

The Excelsior Scholarship covers the cost of tuition for eligible students attending a SUNY or CUNY college in New York State. The maximum award amount is based on the current tuition rate for in-state students at SUNY and CUNY institutions.

Important Notes on Award Amounts:

The scholarship covers tuition only and does not include additional college expenses such as fees, housing, books, or meal plans.
The maximum award is equal to the in-state tuition rate at SUNY and CUNY schools. If tuition increases, the maximum award will adjust accordingly.
The Excelsior Scholarship does not cover winter intersession or summer semesters.

Please be aware that the Excelsior Scholarship program is a last dollar award. All Federal and State grants will need to be applied prior to the Excelsior Scholarship.

How is my Excelsior award calculated?

The Excelsior Scholarship is a tuition specific award, meaning it only pays towards tuition charges. It is also a last dollar award and the $7,070 amount will be reduced by other grant/scholarship assistance received, even if those grants/scholarships are not earmarked to pay tuition only. Therefore, if you receive awards such as Federal Pell Grants, Federal SEOG, NY Tuition Assistance (TAP), SUNY Tuition Credits, other NY grants or scholarship, Stony Brook grants or scholarships or any external scholarships, your Excelsior Scholarship will be reduced or you may not be eligible to receive an award.

Excelsior Award Examples

Decline the Excelsior award after I have signed the contract.

Any student who wishes to decline the Excelsior award after they have signed the contract must send an email to declineexcelsior@hesc.ny.gov.

New York State Scholarships