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Students from families earning $125,000 or less can attend a state-operated SUNY or CUNY college tuition-free. The New York State Excelsior application is available twice per academic year (usually in the summer and winter).
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The application is open to:
Graduate students, undergraduate students who first enrolled in college more than four years prior to the start of the semester, and undergraduate students who first enrolled in college more than five years prior to the start of the semester if in an approved five-year program or Opportunity Program/SEEK are not eligible for the Excelsior Scholarship and should not submit an application. For example, a student who enrolled in college in fall 2019 would not be eligible to apply for the fall 2024 semester.
Current and prior Excelsior Scholarship recipients do not need to complete this application again to be considered for the scholarship.
Note: Undocumented students may skip Step 1 and file the TAP application under new New York State DREAM Act. Learn more on the HESC website.
As noted above, if you are already a recipient of an Excelsior Scholarship from a previous application period, you do not need to complete the most recent Excelsior application. You are considered a recipient if you signed and submitted the Excelsior Scholarship contract, even if you did not receive payment in the prior year.
To make sure you fully understand all of the eligibility criteria, we strongly recommend that you carefully review the following information before you apply:
