<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%23horizontalTab1&data=05%7C01%7Cringram3%40schools.nyc.gov%7C7648ee82b870483a1f6b08da3dbd605e%7C18492cb7ef45456185710c42e5f7ac07%7C0%7C0%7C637890180826240266%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=VI17WtgN88HxfGA8LScpK4v0LENzL0duU5tsLoVNfig%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=05%7C01%7Cringram3%40schools.nyc.gov%7C7648ee82b870483a1f6b08da3dbd605e%7C18492cb7ef45456185710c42e5f7ac07%7C0%7C0%7C637890180826240266%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=z4c9PG80BSWUd8HUSvtuBdrBOEdnUJiScSaxMPHLl1s%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%2Fwebapps.hesc.ny.gov%2Fquestionnaire%2Fpage.hesc%3FquestionnaireId%3D58%26versionNumber%3D4&data=05%7C01%7Cringram3%40schools.nyc.gov%7C7648ee82b870483a1f6b08da3dbd605e%7C18492cb7ef45456185710c42e5f7ac07%7C0%7C0%7C637890180826240266%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=E6dgoohfLBJrGVMSBucEfumpnz8pdHF19dBzJNbJFg4%3D&reserved=0">her</a><a href="https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwebapps.hesc.ny.gov%2Fquestionnaire%2Fpage.hesc%3FquestionnaireId%3D58%26versionNumber%3D4&data=05%7C01%7Cringram3%40schools.nyc.gov%7C7648ee82b870483a1f6b08da3dbd605e%7C18492cb7ef45456185710c42e5f7ac07%7C0%7C0%7C637890180826240266%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=E6dgoohfLBJrGVMSBucEfumpnz8pdHF19dBzJNbJFg4%3D&reserved=0">e</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=05%7C01%7Cringram3%40schools.nyc.gov%7C7648ee82b870483a1f6b08da3dbd605e%7C18492cb7ef45456185710c42e5f7ac07%7C0%7C0%7C637890180826240266%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=5uzKKk3uU598%2FXwX%2BWYhb%2BgjXRAUgVyLlhpfACVdaJg%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=05%7C01%7Cringram3%40schools.nyc.gov%7C7648ee82b870483a1f6b08da3dbd605e%7C18492cb7ef45456185710c42e5f7ac07%7C0%7C0%7C637890180826240266%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=af4wNX9ytaNc7FXtUThGl95QZDAbku562Rgty62Kfeo%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=05%7C01%7Cringram3%40schools.nyc.gov%7C7648ee82b870483a1f6b08da3dbd605e%7C18492cb7ef45456185710c42e5f7ac07%7C0%7C0%7C637890180826240266%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=By1BuAbs6aXfjsMqIyRFs3aGitnz%2F4FaNaJLa5eJqRM%3D&reserved=0">Enhanced Tuition Awards Program.</a></p>
