Excelsior Scholarship

Eligibility

To be eligible to receive the Excelsior Scholarship, an applicant must:

  • be a resident of NYS and have resided in NYS for 12 continuous months prior to the beginning of the term;
  • be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen;
  • have either graduated from high school in the United States, earned a high school equivalency diploma, or passed a federally approved “Ability to Benefit” test, as defined by the Commissioner of the State Education Department;
  • have a combined federal adjusted gross income of $125,000 or less;
  • 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 in at least 12 credits per term and complete at least 30 credits each year (successively), applicable toward his or her degree program through continuous study with no break in enrollment except for certain reasons that can be documented;
  • if attended college prior to the 2021-22 academic year, have earned at least 30 credits each year (successively), applicable toward his or her degree program prior to applying for an Excelsior Scholarship;
  • be in 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;
  • be in compliance with the terms of the service condition(s) imposed by a NYS award that you have previously received; and
  • execute a Contract agreeing to reside in NYS for the length of time the award was received, and, if employed during such time, be employed in NYS.

Catching Up on Credits

A student who is not on track to complete an Associate’s degree in two consecutive years or Bachelor’s degree in four consecutive years (which requires completion of the equivalent of 30 credits each academic year) can catch up on missing credits to become eligible for an Excelsior Scholarship. If you successfully earn additional credits during a term or academic year and get back on track to completing your degree on time, you will be eligible to receive an Excelsior Scholarship for the remainder of your undergraduate degree program.

Opportunity Programs

If you are in an opportunity program, the Excelsior Scholarship program allows five years to complete your degree on-time (which requires completion of the equivalent of 24 credits each academic year).

Five-Year Undergraduate Programs

If you are in an undergraduate program of study normally requiring five-years, the Excelsior Scholarship program allows five years  to complete your degree on time (which requires completion of the equivalent of 30 credits each academic year).

Students with Disabilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990

To be eligible for an Excelsior Scholarship, students with qualified disabilities under the Americans With Disabilities Act who attend less than full time must register with their college office for students with disabilities.

If you are a student with a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Excelsior Scholarship program requires that you be continuously enrolled and complete the number of credits you attempted each semester to fulfill the requirement for on-time degree completion. If you have not earned credits for all courses attempted, you can catch up on missing credits if you successfully earn additional credits during a Summer and/or Winter session(s) and get back on track for credits that were not previously completed.

Students with disabilities determined to be ineligible who can demonstrate good cause for completing fewer credits than attempted and/or a break in attendance may appeal the decision by completing and submitting the Excelsior Scholarship Program Appeal Form to Excelsior.Appeals@hesc.ny.gov.

For more information, visit NYS Student Financial Aid Programs and Students with Disabilities.

Appeals

Students whose current income or prior year adjusted gross income is $125,000 or below due to the disability, divorce or separation of a parent, spouse or the student or the death of a parent or spouse may appeal their disqualification by completing the Income Appeal Form and uploading to https://www.hesc.ny.gov/ExcelsiorIncomeAppeals.

Students who are determined to be ineligible for failure to meet the annual credit or continuous enrollment requirements and who can demonstrate good cause may appeal the decision by completing the Excelsior Scholarship Program Appeal Form and uploading to https://www.hesc.ny.gov/ExcelsiorAppeals.

Award Amount*

A recipient of an Excelsior Scholarship may receive up to $5,500.

To determine the award amount, the 2016-17 resident tuition rate charged by SUNY ($6,470) or CUNY ($6,330) will be reduced by the amount of certain other student financial aid awards which an applicant has or will receive for the academic year, including a NYS Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) award and/or federal Pell grant. The Excelsior Scholarship will cover any remaining tuition liability up to $5,500; and a tuition credit will cover any remaining tuition expenses not covered by the Excelsior Scholarship.

*Note: Any award payment received may have tax implications. Any questions regarding this should be directed to a tax professional, the Internal Revenue Service, or the NYS Department of Taxation and Finance.

Duration

A recipient of an Excelsior Scholarship is eligible to receive award payments for not more than two years of full-time undergraduate study in a program leading to an associate’s degree or four years of full-time undergraduate study, or five years if the program of study normally requires five years, in a program leading to a bachelor’s degree.

Payment

To receive award payments after the initial application year, an Excelsior Scholarship recipient must annually complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the NYS Student Aid Payment Application each year.

For questions about Excelsior requirements, please contact the Financial Aid office. If students have questions about whether their courses will fulfill Excelsior requirements, they may contact Advisement and Transfer Services.

Updated 6/10/2021

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