Bachelor Degree

Excelsior Scholarship 2023-2024 in USA, Up to $5,500

Excelsior Scholarship 2023 2024 is your ideal chance to study in the USA at a SUNY or CUNY institution tuition-free.

The Excelsior Scholarship program covers tuition for qualifying SUNY and CUNY students. Families earning $125,000 or less in tax year 2021 are eligible to apply for the 2023-24 academic year.

In this article, we will talk in detail about the Excelsior Scholarship program (Excelsior Scholarship application, Excelsior Scholarship requirements, Excelsior Scholarship deadline, as well as some FAQs about it).

Eligibility for Excelsior Scholarship 2023 2024

In order to be eligible for the Excelsior Scholarship program, you need to meet the following criteria:

  • Be a New York State resident who has lived in the state for 12 months before the start of the term
  • Be an American citizen or an eligible non-citizen;
  • Have either graduated from high school in the USA, obtained a high school equivalency diploma, or completed a federally recognized “Ability to Benefit” exam. Just as determined by the State Education Department Commissioner;
  • Have a total federal adjusted gross income of 125 thousand dollars or less
  • Be enrolled in a bachelor’s program at a SUNY / CUNY college, including community colleges & the statutory colleges at Alfred University and Cornell University;
  • Be enrolled in at least twelve credits every term and finish a minimum of thirty credits a year (successfully), applicable toward his/her degree programme through continuous study with no breaks in enrollment save for specific verified circumstances;
  • If he or she attended college before the academic year 2023-2024, he or she must have obtained at least thirty credits per year (consecutively) eligible for his or her degree programme before applying for an Excelsior Scholarship.
  • Being in good standing with the repayment of any NYS award as well as any student loans taken out under federal or NYS educational loan programs;
  • Be in compliance with any service requirements imposed by earlier NYS awards
  • Sign a contract agreeing to live in New York State for the duration of the award. In addition, if employed during that period, you must keep your job in NYS.

Description of Excelsior Scholarship 2023 2024

  • Location: New York, USA
  • Host Institutions: SUNY and CUNY
  • Level of Study: Undergraduate
  • Grant: Up to $5,500
  • Eligible Countries: Applicants for the Excelsior Scholarship program must be U.S. citizens or eligible noncitizens
  • Excelsior Scholarship application deadline: August 31st, 2023 at midnight
Description of Excelsior Scholarship Program
Description of Excelsior Scholarship 2023 2024

Award Amount

Following the application of all federal, state, and institutional grants and scholarships, the Excelsior Scholarship 2023 2024 pays any outstanding tuition costs up to a maximum of $5,500.
To calculate the award amount, first subtract the tuition rate* paid from the total dollar amount received from other student financial aid awards for the academic year, which may include an NYS Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) award and/or a Federal Pell Grant. The Excelsior Scholarship 2023 2024 pays any outstanding tuition costs up to a maximum of $5,500. If a recipient’s tuition expenditures exceed the entire financial aid given, a tuition credit will be applied to the leftover balance.

*Tuition costs are based on the SUNY ($7,070) or CUNY ($6,930) resident tuition rates for 2022-23.
**Please keep in mind that any grant payout may be subject to taxation. Any inquiries about this should be sent to a tax professional, the Internal Revenue Service, or the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance.

Catching Up on Credits

A candidate who is not on track to finish an Associate’s degree in 2 consecutive years or a Bachelor’s degree in 4 consecutive years (which needs the completion of the equivalent of thirty credits each academic year) may make up any credits they have missed in order to get consideration for an Excelsior Scholarship program.

You must reapply to be qualified for an Excelsior Scholarship for the remainder of your undergraduate degree programme if you successfully complete more credits during a term or school year and get back on track to earning your degree on time.

Opportunity Programmes

If you’re enrolled in an opportunity programme, you have 5 years under the Excelsior Scholarship program to finish your degree on time. This calls for the completion of the equivalent of 24 credits per academic year.

Undergraduate Programmes of Five Years

The Excelsior Scholarship program gives you 5  years to earn your undergraduate degree on time if you are enrolled in a programme of study that ordinarily takes 5 years (you must complete the equivalent of thirty credits per academic year).

Students with Disabilities Under the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act

Candidates with qualifying impairments under the Americans with Disabilities Act who attend less than full-time need to register with their college office for students with disabilities in order to be eligible for an Excelsior Scholarship.

The Excelsior Scholarship program demands that students who qualify as disabled under the Americans with Disabilities Act be continuously enrolled and finish the number of credits they attempted each semester in order to meet the criterion for timely degree completion. If you successfully complete extra credits during a Winter and/or Summer session(s) and get back on track for credits that you havn’t previously finished, you can make up any credits you have not yet earned for all courses tried.

Review of Eligibility

Students may request a review of their eligibility by filling out the Income Eligibility Determination Form and uploading it to https://www.hesc.ny.gov/ExcelsiorDetermination if their current income or previous year’s adjusted gross income is no more than125 thousand dollars as a result of a parent or spouse’s death, disability, divorce, or separation from their spouse, parent.

It’s possible for recipients to keep their Excelsior Scholarship grants even if they don’t fulfill the yearly credit or continuous enrollment criteria because of one of the circumstances listed below. Please get in touch with your school to discuss your eligibility if you satisfy any of the following requirements. Please be aware that documentation is necessary. If your eligibility for your grant is confirmed, your school will let HESC know.

If you have the following circumstances, you may be able to keep your award:

  • A member of your immediate family passes away.
  • You receive a call to military active duty.
  • You take time off from the institution to care for your newborn kid (parental leave).
  • Your doctor or other health care practitioner decides that your physical or mental health makes it difficult for you to start or finish the term or maintain a full-time course load.
  • You take a break from your studies to provide care for a member of your immediate family that a medical or healthcare professional has determined that he/she requires additional assistance or care, which affects your ability to start the term or continue taking a full-time course load.

Take note that under State rules and regulations, you might not be able to keep your reward under any other conditions except those mentioned above.

Duration of Excelsior Scholarship Program

A recipient of an Excelsior Scholarship is qualified to receive award payments for a maximum of 4 years of full-time undergraduate study, or 5 years if the study programme generally calls for 5 years, in a programme leading to a bachelor’s degree, or for a maximum of 2 years of full-time undergraduate study in a programme leading to an associate’s degree.

Excelsior Scholarship 2023 2024 Payment

In order to be eligible for award payments, recipients must submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the NYS Student Aid Payment Application each year.

Frequently Asked Questions About Excelsior Scholarship 2023 2024

Here are some FAQs related to the Excelsior Scholarship program:

Can I get an award if I’m a transfer student?

Yes. Excelsior Scholarship 2023 2024 is available to students who moved between postsecondary schools and are on pace to graduate on time depending on the number of credits recognized by their present college.

I already hold an undergraduate degree. Am I still eligible for an Excelsior Scholarship 2023 2024 to pursue a 2nd degree?

If applicants with an associate’s degree enroll in a 4-year programme right away after finishing their 2-year programme, they will be eligible for an award to pursue a bachelor’s degree. You may not be eligible to receive funding to complete a 2nd associate’s or 2nd bachelor’s degree.

What does “NYS resident” signify in terms of winning this award?

Applicants who consider New York State their permanent home and who are either United States citizens, qualified paroled refugees, or permanent resident aliens must have lived in New York State for twelve consecutive months before the term for which the grant is being sought in order to qualify as NYS residents for the purposes of receiving the grant.
Candidates who are eligible for the grant under the NYS DREAM Act must also satisfy the high school or tuition criteria and one of the qualifying citizenship/immigration classifications.

Do I still qualify for an award if I switched my major and now need more time to earn my degree?

You will not qualify for the award if you are no longer on pace for earning an associate’s degree in 2 years or a bachelor’s degree in 4 years.

Will the Excelsior Scholarship 2023 2024 cover my summer classes if I enroll in one to get my necessary 30 credits?

No, students need to pay the current tuition rate for all summer classes they take to fulfill the thirty-credit Excelsior requirement.

What happens if I fail to complete the thirty-credit requirement?

The Excelsior Scholarship 2023 2024 will cover your 1st term in this scenario; however, you will be liable for the 2nd term’s tuition if you are unable to finish 30 credits during a 365-day period. Furthermore, because you won’t be on pace to graduate on time, you won’t be able to receive any further award monies.

If I took twelve credits in each of my 1st 2 semesters and now want to take further six credits this summer, am I still eligible to apply for the Excelsior Scholarship program?

Yes. In order to qualify for the Excelsior Scholarship 2023 2024, you must be enrolled in a summer course. This summer course must provide you with thirty credits before the start of the fall semester.

When should I start working toward the residency requirement?

The post-award residency requirement starts when you stop earning a grant. Following receipt of your final award money, you will have a maximum of 6 months to move into New York State and meet the residency requirement. Additionally, you need to work in NYS if you are employed during those years.
If you are still enrolled in undergraduate study at an institution in New York State after losing your eligibility for the grant, the residency requirement would start while you are still in school.
Your residence obligation will start while you are enrolled in graduate school if you are pursuing a graduate / post-graduate degree at an institution in the state of New York.

If I relocate outside of NYS, would my full award become a loan?

When determining the amount of your loan, your grant will be prorated. You will need to repay one-fourth of the grant as a no-interest loan if you received grants for 4 years and lived in New York State for 3 years. Your loan conversion can be excused if you have to move because of an acceptable hardship.

Summary

The Excelsior Scholarship program enables qualified New York State residents to enroll at SUNY or CUNY institutions without paying tuition fees. It covers up to a maximum of $5,500 in tuition costs after taking additional financial assistance into account.

Applicants for the Excelsior Scholarship program must be U.S. citizens or eligible noncitizens, have a combined federal adjusted gross income of 125 thousand dollars or less, be enrolled in a bachelor’s programme at an accepted institution, and maintain excellent academic standing in order to be eligible. Additionally, awardees must maintain their residency in New York State for the term of their award and, if employed, must continue to work there.

The Excelsior Scholarship application deadline is August 31st, 2023 at midnight. The selection committee will not consider any applications you submit after the Excelsior Scholarship application deadline. Therefore, we recommend you submit your Excelsior Scholarship application as soon as possible.

Website of Excelsior Scholarship 2023 2024

If you like to get more information about this opportunity, you can visit Excelsior Scholarship program official website

Apply for Excelsior Scholarship 2023 2024

Explore opportunities for tuition-free education on our Scholarship Opportunities Website to “unlock your potential.” For example, if you are looking for golden opportunities to study in the USA, you can check ” USA Fully Funded Scholarships for International Students “, or Universities in USA Without Application Fee

Maria Sotti

I have a university degree in Economics from the University of Milano in Italy, graduated in 2016, then I obtained a Master's degree in International Relations. I did an internship with WHO for 11 months, after which I got promoted and became a consultant. I love to write about education and help students from other countries build on their work experience after graduation by applying for scholarship and internship opportunities available around the world.

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