New York college financial aid layers three state programs on top of the FAFSA. The Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) pays $1,000 to $5,665 a year to students from families with New York net taxable income up to $125,000. The Excelsior Scholarship covers the remaining tuition at SUNY and CUNY for families with a federal adjusted gross income of $125,000 or less. The Enhanced Tuition Award (ETA) pays up to $6,000 at participating private colleges. Excelsior and ETA come with strings: 30 credits a year, and you must live in New York after graduation for as many years as you received the award.
All program rules below are from the New York State Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC), which runs all three.
The three programs side by side
| TAP | Excelsior Scholarship | Enhanced Tuition Award | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where | Approved New York colleges, public and private | SUNY and CUNY, including community colleges and Cornell's and Alfred's statutory colleges | Participating New York private colleges |
| Income limit | $125,000 net taxable income (dependent students) | $125,000 federal adjusted gross income | $125,000 federal adjusted gross income |
| Amount | $1,000-$5,665 a year | Remaining SUNY/CUNY tuition after other grants | Up to $6,000 a year, combined with TAP and a college match |
| Credits | Full-time, 12 credits a semester (part-time TAP also exists) | 12 credits a term and 30 a year | 12 credits a term and 30 a year |
| Live and work in New York afterward? | No | Yes | Yes |
| Application | FAFSA, then the TAP application | Separate application, typically May to August | Separate application, typically May to August |
Source: HESC program pages.
TAP: the base grant
TAP is New York's main need-based grant, and the one most students get first. The amount depends on your family's income, how many family members are in college, your dependency status and your college's tuition. To qualify, you need:
- New York net taxable income of $125,000 or less for dependent students; $60,000 for married independent students without dependents; $30,000 for single independent students without dependents.
- 12 continuous months of New York residency before enrolling (or eligibility under the NYS DREAM Act).
- Full-time study (12 credits a semester) in a degree program at an approved New York college, charging at least $200 a year in tuition.
Deadline: June 30 of the academic year, which is June 30, 2028 for 2027-28. Apply through the FAFSA, then finish the TAP application. You must reapply every year. TAP lasts up to four years for a bachelor's degree, five for approved five-year programs.
Excelsior: tuition-free SUNY and CUNY
Excelsior is a last-dollar scholarship. HESC applies Pell, TAP and other grants to tuition first, and Excelsior covers what's left of tuition at a SUNY or CUNY college. It doesn't cover fees, housing or books. You must:
- Have a household federal AGI of $125,000 or less.
- Enroll full-time (12 credits a term) and complete at least 30 credits a year toward your degree, without pauses in enrollment.
- Live in New York, and work there if employed, for as many years as you received Excelsior. Leave early and part of the award becomes a no-interest loan.
The 2026-27 application is closed. HESC says the full-year application typically opens in May and closes in August. See Excelsior's fine print.
How common is tuition-free SUNY? SUNY says 53% of New York-resident full-time undergraduates attend tuition-free through TAP, the FAFSA and other aid.
Enhanced Tuition Award: private colleges
The ETA gives students at participating private New York colleges up to $6,000 a year toward tuition. That total combines your TAP award, the ETA and a match from your college. It has the same $125,000 AGI limit, 30-credit rule and live-and-work-in-New-York requirement as Excelsior; if you don't meet the residency obligation, payments convert to a 10-year no-interest loan. HESC publishes the list of participating colleges.
How they stack: an order of operations
- File the FAFSA (the 2027-28 form opened in October 2026) and the TAP application.
- Pell and TAP are applied to tuition first.
- Excelsior (SUNY/CUNY) or ETA (private) can then cover more tuition, if you apply in the May-August window and meet the credit rules.
What this means for you
- File the FAFSA and TAP application now. They're the foundation for all three programs.
- Seniors applying to SUNY or CUNY: apply free this fall. SUNY waives fees for up to five campuses through Nov. 2; CUNY waives its $65 fee through Nov. 16. See SUNY acceptance rates and deadlines and CUNY application deadlines.
- Top 10% of your class? SUNY will directly admit eligible students through its Top 10% Promise, now open to every New York high school.
- Weigh Excelsior's obligation before you sign. If you might move out of state after college, part of the award could become a loan.