STATEWIDE – THE APPLICATION PERIOD for the 2026-2027 school year’s Excelsior Scholarships and Enhanced Tuition Awards is now open, Governor Kathy Hochul announced on Tuesday.
The Excelsior Scholarship provides eligible full-time students with tuition-free attendance for two- and four-year degrees at SUNY and CUNY schools, while the Enhanced Tuition Award offers up to $6,000 toward tuition costs at certain private colleges.
Awardees must agree to live and work in New York state for the same number of years the award was received. Eligibility is restricted to state residents from households with incomes up to $125,000, who must also complete 30 credits per year; and be on track to graduate on time.
In the 2024-25 academic year, $101 million in Excelsior awards was distributed to more than 25,000 students, helping 72% of CUNY students and 55% of SUNY students to attend college tuition-free, along with $1.7 million in Enhanced Tuition Awards for another 1,500 students.
The application deadline is Aug. 31. Students currently receiving either the Excelsior Scholarship or Enhanced Tuition Award do not need to reapply.
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