The Excelsior Scholarship makes SUNY and CUNY tuition-free for New York families with a federal adjusted gross income of $125,000 or less. But it has the strictest fine print of any New York aid program. You must take 12 credits every term, finish 30 credits every year, never pause your enrollment, and then live in New York, and work there if employed, for as many years as you received it. Leave early, and the award turns into a no-interest loan.
All rules below are from the New York State Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC), which runs Excelsior.
Who qualifies
- Household federal AGI of $125,000 or less. For dependent students, that's the parents' income, plus the student's if the student earned above the federal tax-filing threshold. If income dropped because of a disability, divorce, separation or a parent's or spouse's death, you can ask HESC to use current income instead.
- New York residency for 12 continuous months (or eligibility under the NYS DREAM Act).
- An undergraduate degree at SUNY or CUNY, including community colleges and the statutory colleges at Cornell and Alfred.
- Full-time enrollment: 12 credits a term, in courses that count toward your degree.
What it covers
Excelsior is last-dollar. Pell, TAP and other grants not restricted to non-tuition costs are applied to tuition first, and Excelsior pays the tuition that's left. It doesn't cover fees, housing, meals or books. You must file the FAFSA and the TAP application every year to be paid. See TAP vs. Excelsior.
The 30-credit rule
You must complete at least 30 credits every year toward your degree, enough to finish an associate degree in two years or a bachelor's in four. Students in opportunity programs (like EOP) need 24 credits a year and get five years for a bachelor's.
If you're applying after starting college, you must already be on that pace:
| Terms completed | Credits needed (2-, 4- and 5-year programs) | Credits needed (opportunity programs) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 15 | 12 |
| 2 | 30 | 24 |
| 3 | 45 | 36 |
| 4 | 60 | 48 |
| 5 | 75 | 60 |
| 6 | 90 | 72 |
Source: HESC, Excelsior Scholarship Program.
Behind pace? You can catch up on missing credits and then reapply. But summer and winter classes cost extra: HESC says students are charged the current tuition rate for those classes even when they're needed to reach 30 credits.
Pauses are only allowed for a death in the immediate family, active military duty, parental leave, your own medical condition, or caring for an immediate family member with health needs. Request a review through your college within a year of being notified you're ineligible.
The live-and-work-in-New-York requirement
When your Excelsior payments end, you must:
- Live in New York for as many years as you received the award, starting within six months of your last payment, and
- Work in New York if you're employed during those years.
If you leave early, HESC prorates the award into a no-interest loan. Its example: four years of Excelsior and three years living in New York means repaying one-fourth of the award. The requirement is deferred while you continue your education outside New York, such as graduate school, and the loan can be waived if you relocated for an allowable hardship.
When to apply
The 2026-27 application is closed. HESC says the full-year application typically opens in May and closes in August, and a spring-only application usually runs December to February. You can apply at any point in college if you meet the credit requirements.
What this means for you
- Plan on 15 credits a term. It's the only way to reach 30 a year without summer classes you'd pay for.
- Don't drop below 12 credits mid-term. Excelsior requires full-time enrollment every term, without pauses outside the listed hardships.
- Think about post-college plans. If you might leave New York for a job, part of the award could become a loan.
- Watch the May window. Apply as soon as the 2027-28 application opens, and file the FAFSA and TAP application first.
- Still choosing campuses? See SUNY acceptance rates and deadlines and CUNY's free application window.