The Excelsior Scholarship

Please consult the New York State Higher Education Services Corporation website for the most current application dates and deadlines.

To be considered a New York State resident for purposes of receiving this award, you must have resided in New York for 12 continuous months prior to the term for which the award is being sought.

An Excelsior Scholarship recipient can receive up to $5,500 from the Excelsior Scholarship, minus any amounts received for TAP, Pell or other scholarships. The remainder of your tuition charge will be covered through a tuition credit paid through SUNY.

Your family’s adjusted gross income can total up to $125,000.

Yes. Students who are currently attending SUNY Cortland are eligible to receive an award, provided they are currently on track to complete their degree on time.

A student who transfers to SUNY Cortland is eligible for an Excelsior Scholarship if he or she is on track to complete his or her degree on time.

You are eligible to get an award for up to four years for students pursuing a bachelor’s degree. Students in an undergraduate program of study normally requiring five years are eligible to receive the award for five years.

Award recipients need to earn a passing grade to maintain their Excelsior Scholarship and they must earn a total of 30 credits over the course of a year. Recipients may have other awards which also carry academic standards that differ from those required for the Excelsior Scholarship.

Students can lose the scholarship if they do not continue to meet all of the eligibility requirements. For example, they must enroll in at least 12 credits per term and complete 30 credits per year to continue to receive the scholarship.

Yes, provided the university has accepted all of the credits you earned in completing your associate’s degree and you meet all other requirements for the Excelsior Scholarship.

Yes. You must live in New York State for the number of years equal to awards you received. For example, if you received four Excelsior Scholarship awards while earning your bachelor’s degree, you must live in New York state for four years after college. In addition, if you are working during those years, you must work in New York state. Failure to meet these requirements will result in the conversion of your award to a loan.

Applicants who have an associate’s degree are eligible to pursue a bachelor’s degree. However, you may not receive an award to pursue a second associate’s or a second bachelor’s degree.