2026 Excelsior Scholarship Program

Applications for Excelsior Scholarship Program will open in May 2026. Students from families earning $125,000 or less can attend a state-operated SUNY or CUNY college tuition-free.

Table of Content

• Summary
• Benefits
• Requirements
• Application Deadline
• How To Apply

Summary

• Application DeadlineNot Specified
• Study LevelUndergraduate
• SponsorNew York State Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC)
• Eligible CountryAll Countries

Benefits

Amount

• Covers tuition expenses at a SUNY or CUNY college
  • Allows students to attend a state-operated SUNY or CUNY college tuition-free.
  • Is a “last dollar” scholarship. Any federal or NYS grants or scholarships, including PELL and TAP, are applied to tuition first and the Excelsior Scholarship covers any remaining tuition expenses.

Frequency

• Annual
  • Must complete the FAFSA and TAP application or DREAM Act application each year for payment.

Duration

• Dependent on the length of program
  • 2 years for students pursuing their associate degree full-time
  • 4 years for students pursuing their bachelor’s degree full-time
  • 5 years for approved five-year degree programs

Requirements

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 legal resident of New York State? Learn more about the NYS DREAM Act application.

Non-New York State residents (including undocumented students): before submitting your application, apply for eligibility under the NYS DREAM Act.

Income & Financial 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 which occurred prior to the start of the academic year, you may be eligible to use your current income to establish income eligibility.

Academic Requirements

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

You must meet the following requirements: 

• If you attended college prior to the 2025-26 academic year, you must have been continuously enrolled and earned the equivalent of 15 credits per term, (at least 30 credits each year) applicable toward your degree program prior to applying.
• 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 applicable to your program of study and successfully complete at least 30 credits each year, applicable toward your degree program.  
• Be 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.

To request a review of your eligibility, complete the Income Eligibility Determination Form and upload to the HESCPIN Authentication page.

Post-Graduation 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. 

Students with disabilities

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, students with disabilities can take longer to complete their associate degree or bachelor’s degree if their disability requires them to attend less than full-time or if they need to pause their studies due to their disability.  

• To qualify as ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) for the Excelsior Scholarship, students must be registered with their college’s Office for Students with Disabilities prior the start of the term.
• Students registered as ADA are allowed to enroll in and complete fewer than the required 30 credits per year but must successfully earn all attempted credits to be eligible.

Learn more about your rights under the Americans with Disability Act of 1990.

Application Deadline

Not Specified

How To Apply

Contact: Call 1-888-NYSHESC (1-888-697-4372) to speak with our representatives.

For more information, kindly visit Excelsior Scholarship Program webpage.