<p>The application for the New York State Excelsior Scholarship is NOW OPEN! </p><p><b>Please carefully read the eligibility guidelines and FAQs before submitting the application!</b> Excelsior is a more complicated program than students and families initially suspect, with explicit limitations; media and other outlets referring to Excelsior as "free college" are grossly misleading. </p><p>Some important points to note:</p><p>-Excelsior can ONLY be used for tuition costs, NOT room, board, or other college expenses</p><p>-Excelsior only applies to students attending CUNY or SUNY institutions (or the public undergrad divisions of Cornell)</p><p>-Excelsior recipients will have a resulting obligation to live and work in New York State after graduation</p><p>Again, carefully read the <a href="https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hesc.ny.gov%2Fpay-for-college%2Ffinancial-aid%2Ftypes-of-financial-aid%2Fnys-grants-scholarships-awards%2Fthe-excelsior-scholarship.html&data=04%7C01%7Cringram3%40schools.nyc.gov%7C7600fb18a8964aebf87508d91aca18da%7C18492cb7ef45456185710c42e5f7ac07%7C0%7C0%7C637570277567721180%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=O1iCKGd0VGZku%2FYkntMxKBPW1HNktEhWueLFA5DkzXs%3D&reserved=0">eligibility guidelines</a> and <a href="https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hesc.ny.gov%2Fpay-for-college%2Ffinancial-aid%2Ftypes-of-financial-aid%2Fnys-grants-scholarships-awards%2Fthe-excelsior-scholarship%2Fexcelsior-scholarship-faqs.html&data=04%7C01%7Cringram3%40schools.nyc.gov%7C7600fb18a8964aebf87508d91aca18da%7C18492cb7ef45456185710c42e5f7ac07%7C0%7C0%7C637570277567721180%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=o53vl0n%2BrRQVDo4svGZ3bhiJ8h2mnsp0cCB4ht9HqbA%3D&reserved=0">FAQs </a>before applying. The application itself can be found<a href="https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hesc.ny.gov%2Fexcelsior%2F&data=04%7C01%7Cringram3%40schools.nyc.gov%7C7600fb18a8964aebf87508d91aca18da%7C18492cb7ef45456185710c42e5f7ac07%7C0%7C0%7C637570277567731173%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=MbdsHlZaow%2BUxJUSu3Yk6lJ7aZ%2FxOJd1OSNU7nxfcXg%3D&reserved=0"> here</a><a href="https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwebapps.hesc.ny.gov%2Fquestionnaire%2Fpage.hesc%3FquestionnaireId%3D58%26versionNumber%3D3&data=04%7C01%7Cringram3%40schools.nyc.gov%7C7600fb18a8964aebf87508d91aca18da%7C18492cb7ef45456185710c42e5f7ac07%7C0%7C0%7C637570277567731173%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=2glGc1ELiZtpDblkmxADzy5IAKzG9iop38EUHF0mkPk%3D&reserved=0">.</a> Undocumented students, or those in the US on Visas, must complete the <a href="https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hesc.ny.gov%2Fdream%2F&data=04%7C01%7Cringram3%40schools.nyc.gov%7C7600fb18a8964aebf87508d91aca18da%7C18492cb7ef45456185710c42e5f7ac07%7C0%7C0%7C637570277567741165%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=Bn96SvcnjoSxCOXBtS9bP1RmiiA%2FObjPbrWHFjuJfac%3D&reserved=0">NYS Dream Act</a> application.</p><p>A small number of NY private colleges (but including the private divisions or Cornell) offer a similar sized award, the <a href="https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hesc.ny.gov%2Fpay-for-college%2Ffinancial-aid%2Ftypes-of-financial-aid%2Fnys-grants-scholarships-awards%2Fenhanced-tuition-awards.html&data=04%7C01%7Cringram3%40schools.nyc.gov%7C7600fb18a8964aebf87508d91aca18da%7C18492cb7ef45456185710c42e5f7ac07%7C0%7C0%7C637570277567741165%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=69m7aYuwLrWv6gliBlFtTfi%2BO3U4yMGmGlole4qkhVo%3D&reserved=0">Enhanced Tuition Awards Program</a>.</p>
