Excelsior Scholarship
Offered by New York State Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC) · Free to apply
The Excelsior Scholarship is administered by the New York State Higher Education Services Corporation and was created to make public college tuition free for middle and lower income families. It treats the aid as an investment in New York itself, expecting graduates to stay on track in school and remain in the state afterward. In the 2024-25 academic year alone, more than $100 million in Excelsior awards went to more than 25,000 students, and the combination of Excelsior and other aid let a majority of SUNY students and nearly three quarters of CUNY students attend tuition free. Excelsior sits within a portfolio of 27 state financial aid programs that HESC administers. New York pays the tuition that Pell, TAP, and other grants leave unpaid at SUNY and CUNY campuses for households with adjusted gross income of $125,000 or less, worth up to $5,500 a year alongside other state aid. This is not a one-form award: students file the FAFSA and the TAP application, or the NYS DREAM Act application if they are undocumented or DACA, and then submit the Excelsior application through HESC. Full-time enrollment with 30 completed credits a year is required, and graduates must live and work in New York for as many years as they were funded or the scholarship converts to a no-interest loan. The new-applicant window typically opens in late spring and closes August 31 for the coming fall, with a smaller window from December through February for spring starters. Continuing recipients do not reapply, but they do file the FAFSA and TAP forms every year.
How hard is the Excelsior Scholarship to win?
This is not a competition, but the funding is rationed: eligible students are routinely turned away once the money runs out, so filing date decides the outcome.
- Estimated odds
- most eligible students who file early receive it
- Paperwork
- ~2 hrs to file
What drives the odds here
Odds on a scholarship are mostly a question of how many students can enter. Each rule below changes the size of that field.
- Fewer rivalsOpen only to New York residents
- Fewer rivalsAn income ceiling applies
How Solyo estimates this: State programs that allocate by published formula are modelled on qualification and filing, not on competition, because there is no selection committee choosing between applicants. These are estimates derived from each award's published structure, not reported acceptance rates, which almost no scholarship provider discloses. Treat them as a way to rank where the hours go, not as a guarantee.
Who can apply for the Excelsior Scholarship?
These are the eligibility rules Solyo verified against the official award page, translated into plain English. Your student must meet each one.
- Must be a resident of New York
- Open to high school seniors and current college students
- Open to U.S. citizens, permanent residents (green card), DACA/Dreamer students, or undocumented students
- Household income of $125,000 or less
- Recipients must live and work in New York after graduation for as many years as they received the award, or the scholarship converts to a no-interest loan
- Must have resided in New York State for 12 continuous months before the term
- Must enroll in at least 12 credits per term and complete 30 credits per year applicable to the degree
- Undocumented and DACA students can access the award through the Senator Jose Peralta NYS DREAM Act application
- Works as a last-dollar award toward tuition after TAP, Pell, and other grants; does not cover fees, housing, or books
- Usable only at SUNY and CUNY campuses, including community colleges and the statutory colleges at Cornell and Alfred
What the application takes
No essay, recommendation letters, or transcript are required. This is one of the lighter applications in the directory.
Deadline and application cycle
The next projected deadline is August 31, 2027 (estimated). The last verified deadline has passed; the next cycle is projected from this award's usual August 31 deadline. Confirm the exact date on the official site. Applications open late spring. File the FAFSA and TAP application first, then apply as soon as the new-applicant window opens; HESC cannot pay without those forms on file.
- FAFSA and TAP application open
- October 1, 2026
- Excelsior application opens for new applicants
- Late spring 2027
- New-applicant application due for fall
- August 31, 2027 (estimated)
- Spring-term application window
- December through February
Personalized matching
Does your student actually qualify?
See if your student qualifies in 30 seconds. Solyo checks 20+ criteria against their real profile: GPA, state, grade level, intended major, and more, across every award in this directory at once.
Common questions about the Excelsior Scholarship
How much is the Excelsior Scholarship worth?
The Excelsior Scholarship awards up to $5,500/yr toward SUNY/CUNY tuition and is renewable in later years.
When is the Excelsior Scholarship deadline?
The next projected deadline is August 31, 2027 (estimated). The last verified deadline has passed; the next cycle is projected from this award's usual August 31 deadline. Confirm the exact date on the official site. Applications open late spring. File the FAFSA and TAP application first, then apply as soon as the new-applicant window opens; HESC cannot pay without those forms on file.
When do Excelsior Scholarship applications open?
Applications open late spring, and close August 31, 2027 (estimated). File the FAFSA and TAP application first, then apply as soon as the new-applicant window opens; HESC cannot pay without those forms on file.
Who is eligible for the Excelsior Scholarship?
Key requirements: Must be a resident of New York; Open to high school seniors and current college students; Open to U.S. citizens, permanent residents (green card), DACA/Dreamer students, or undocumented students; Household income of $125,000 or less.
Does the Excelsior Scholarship require an essay?
No essay is required. The application is light on requirements. Expect to spend about 2 hours on it.
How hard is it to win the Excelsior Scholarship?
This is not a competition, but the funding is rationed: eligible students are routinely turned away once the money runs out, so filing date decides the outcome. Solyo classifies this award as first come, first served, meaning most eligible students who file early receive it. Plan on about 2 hrs of paperwork.
Is the Excelsior Scholarship free to apply?
Yes. The Excelsior Scholarship is free to apply. Legitimate scholarships never charge an application fee, and Solyo verifies every listed award against its official page.
More state grants & programs
- 802 Opportunity GrantFull tuition and the $100 administrative fee at CCV (last-dollar)
- Access Missouri Financial Assistance ProgramVaries by SAI and school type per statutory table (amounts prorated if funding is short)
- Alabama Student Grant ProgramUp to $3,000/yr ($1,500 per semester; actual amount depends on state funding)
- Alaska Education Grant$500-$4,000/yr based on need and enrollment level
- Alaska Performance Scholarship$3,500-$7,000/yr depending on tier
- Arizona Promise ProgramFull tuition & mandatory fees at Arizona public universities (last-dollar)
Lists this award appears on
Award details are curated by Solyo and verified against the official scholarship page. Deadlines and requirements can change between cycles, so always confirm on the provider's site before applying.