Location: USA
Program: Undergraduate Program
Eligibility: U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen
Duration: Full duration of the degree program
Deadline: August 31, 2026
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The New York State Excelsior Scholarship, administered by the New York State Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC), provides eligible full-time students with tuition-free attendance at SUNY or CUNY two-year or four-year colleges. Governor Kathy Hochul announced on May 26, 2026, that the application for new applicants for the 2026-2027 academic year is now open. In the 2024-2025 academic year, $101 million in Excelsior awards was distributed to more than 25,000 students, enabling 72% of CUNY students and 55% of SUNY students to attend college tuition-free through a combination of the Excelsior Scholarship and other awards.
The New York State Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC) is the state agency responsible for administering New York State’s financial aid programmes for higher education, offering 27 New York State financial aid programmes that collectively helped more than 294,000 students in 2024-2025, totalling more than $935 million in state financial aid. HESC works in partnership with the State University of New York (SUNY), the City University of New York (CUNY), and participating private colleges across the state to make higher education accessible and affordable for New Yorkers at every income level.
Benefits of the Programme
This programme will provide the following to its recipients:
- Excelsior Scholarship: tuition-free attendance at any SUNY or CUNY two-year or four-year college, covering the cost of tuition not already met by other grants and scholarships
- Enhanced Tuition Award (ETA): up to $6,000 toward tuition costs at a participating private college in New York State
- Other benefits
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Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for this programme, applicants must meet the following:
- Excelsior Scholarship:
- Must have a combined federal household adjusted gross income of $125,000 or less
- Must attend a SUNY or CUNY two-year or four-year college
- Must enroll full-time and complete 30 credits per year toward their programme of study (including summer and winter terms)
- Must be on track to graduate with an associate degree in two years or a bachelor’s degree in four years
- Enhanced Tuition Award (ETA):
- Must be a US citizen or eligible non-citizen
- Must be a New York State resident for at least 12 months before the start of the term
- Must be attending a participating private college in New York State
- Must have a combined federal household income of $125,000 or less
- Must enroll full-time and complete 30 credits per year toward their programme of study
- Must agree to live and work in New York State for the same number of years the award was received
Note: Kindly check the official webpage for full and detailed requirements.
Also Check:
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Selection Criteria
The Excelsior Scholarship and Enhanced Tuition Award are need-based awards rather than competitive scholarships; all applicants who meet the stated eligibility criteria and complete the required applications by the deadline are eligible for consideration. Awards are applied after all other grants and scholarships have been applied to the student’s tuition balance, covering any remaining tuition not already met by other aid. Continuing recipients do not need to submit a new application each year but must continue to meet all eligibility criteria and complete the FAFSA and TAP (or DREAM Act) applications annually.
How to Apply
CLICK HERE to visit the official webpage and submit your application
