The State of New York takes a bold step in addressing the cost of college education and student loan debt by launching the Excelsior Scholarship. This program is the first of its kind in the country. It enables many New York State residents to attend a CUNY college tuition-free and establish a national model broadening access to higher education.
Recipients of this award must have a family income of $125,000 or less for the 2024-2025 academic year and, file the Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA) along with the TAP and Excelsior Scholarship applications or the NYS Dream Act application (if applicable), attend full-time, and complete 30 credits per year. Awardees must also agree to reside exclusively in New York State and not be employed in any other State for a continuous number of years equal to the duration of the award.
The Excelsior Scholarship will be applied to each qualifying student’s financial aid package after all other aid, including TAP, Pell, City Council Scholarship, college scholarships and other grants or scholarships are applied.
The application for the 2024-25 application (attendance in the Fall 2024 semester) is now available. To apply please click here.
Please refer any questions you have to the Admissions or Financial Aid Office at the college you will be attending.
You may be eligible for the Excelsior Scholarship, if you are an undergraduate who is a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen and reside in New York State for one year prior to enrollment and whose family’s adjusted gross income does not exceed $125,000 (in the tax year 2022) and you complete thirty (30) credits per year. With the Excelsior Scholarship you will be able to attend CUNY tuition free for the 2024-2025 academic year if you meet all these requirements and funding is available.
Students must be enrolled full-time (12 credits) and earn thirty (30) credits per year toward their major, including summer and winter terms, in order to receive the Excelsior Scholarship. Students facing hardship are able to take fewer credits.
An applicant must:
Students who are currently attending college are eligible to receive the scholarship provided they maintained full-time enrollment and completed thirty (30) credits toward their degree each year prior to applying for the scholarship.
You will continue to receive the Excelsior Scholarship provided that you enroll full-time and successfully complete thirty (30) credits toward your degree in an academic year. Students who do not successfully complete thirty (30) credits per year can lose the scholarship.
You are eligible to receive an Excelsior Scholarship for up to 2 years for students pursuing an Associate’s degree and up to 4 years for students pursuing a Bachelor’s degree. Students in an undergraduate program of study normally requiring 5 years are eligible to receive the award for 5 years.
A student who transferred between colleges is eligible for an Excelsior Scholarship provided they do not have a break in enrollment and are on track to complete their Associate’s degree in 2 years or their Bachelor’s degree in 4 years based on the number of credits accepted by their current college.
If you begin attending in the spring, you must complete thirty (30) credits by the start of the following spring term.
Yes, provided the college that you are attending accepted all of the credits you earned while completing your Associate’s degree and you meet all other requirements for the Excelsior Scholarship. However, you will not be able to use the Scholarship for another Associate’s degree.
No, they are not.
No. You cannot receive the Excelsior Scholarship to pursue a second undergraduate degree.
To be a NYS resident for purposes of receiving this award, applicants who consider NYS their permanent home and who are either a U.S. citizen, qualified paroled refugee, or permanent resident alien must have resided in New York State for 12 continuous months prior to the term for which the award is being sought.
Applicants who qualify for the award under the NYS DREAM Act must meet one of the eligible citizenship/immigration classifications as well as the high school or tuition charge requirements.
College Now and AP classes taken in High School will count toward the 30 credit requirement.
Yes, 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 an 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.
If you fail to complete the 30 credits over a 365 day period, the Excelsior Scholarship will cover your first term; however, you will be responsible for the tuition for your second term. Since you will no longer be on track to complete your degree on time, you will be ineligible for the scholarship in the future.
Your household federal adjusted gross income can total up to $125,000 to be eligible.
Students whose full tuition is covered by TAP, Pell Grants and other scholarships are not eligible for the Excelsior Scholarship
Adjusted gross income can be found on a federal income tax form. It is an individual’s total gross income minus specific deductions.
The adjusted gross income (AGI) is determined by the income of the student, the spouse and/or parents where applicable.
An Excelsior Scholarship recipient can receive up to the cost of full-time enrollment from the Excelsior Scholarship, minus any amounts received for TAP, Pell, New York City Merit Scholarship or other scholarships. The remainder of your tuition charge will be covered through a tuition credit paid through CUNY.
The scholarship covers tuition only for students pursuing an undergraduate degree and does not cover other costs of college such as room and board, books, fees, transportation, etc.
No. The scholarship will not cover your tuition for classes taken in the summer and winter terms. It will only cover tuition for the fall and spring terms.
The application for the Spring 2024 Excelsior Scholarship has passed. The application for the 2024-25 application (attendance in the Fall 2024 semester) will be available in late spring.
Yes. You must live and work in New York State for the time period equal to the duration of the award received. You will be required to sign a contract with the Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC) agreeing to these terms. Failure to meet Excelsior Scholarship program requirements will result in the conversion of your award to a loan.
Your residency requirement will be deferred while you continue your education outside of New York State and you will have six months to return to New York State to begin fulfilling your residency requirement.
Students must be enrolled full-time and take thirty (30) credits per year including summer in order to receive the Excelsior Scholarship. Students facing hardship are able to take fewer credits.
There is not a GPA requirement for students to be eligible for the Excelsior Scholarship provided they earn thirty (30) credits over the course of a year, however students will need to maintain a GPA that allows for the successful completion of their degree. Recipients should keep in mind that they may have other awards, which require academic standards that differ from those required for the Excelsior Scholarship.
If you attend the summer term and take 3 credits you will fulfill the thirty (30) credit requirement for the scholarship.
Generally, no, however there is an appeal process.
If you are a student with a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the program requires that you complete the credits attempted each semester to fulfill the requirement for on-time degree completion.