The New York State Excelsior Scholarship
Excelsior Scholarship Webinar
A Message from NY State HESC Regarding Funding for Excelsior:
"Please note that the COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically reduced state revenues and the processing of new applications is pending on Federal assistance, which has been delayed since April. Excelsior Scholarship awards may have to be reduced and/or prioritized for current recipients as provided for under the program".
Application Availability
The Fall 2020 New York State Excelsior Scholarship application is expected to be available the week of July 27th, 2020. It is expected to close August 31st, 2020.
While the application is expected to close on August 31st, 2020 this date may be extended based on guidance from the NY State Governor's Office. The application is available on the New York State Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC) website. We encourage you to sign up for notifications about the scholarship and its availability.
The fall 2020 application is open to students first entering college in the fall 2020 semester, students who caught up on credits prior to fall 2020, and current college students who missed the deadline for prior applications. Current and prior Excelsior Scholarship recipients do not complete this application.
Learn About the New York State Excelsior Scholarship
To make sure you fully understand all of the eligibility criteria, we strongly recommend that you carefully review the following information before you apply:
- Brooklyn College Fact Sheet (pdf)
- New York State Excelsior Fact Sheet
- New York State Excelsior FAQ
- CUNY Excelsior Scholarship FAQ
Reviewing this information will ensure that you understand eligibility criteria for the scholarship, as not all students may be eligible. You should also review this information so that you understand the requirements for utilizing and maintaining the New York State Excelsior Scholarship in future years.
Complete Your 2020–21 FAFSA and New York State Payment (TAP) Application
You must complete your 2020–21 FAFSA and TAP applications before applying for the New York State Excelsior Scholarship online for fall 2020. Please note: If you are already a recipient of an Excelsior Scholarship from a previous application period, you do not need to complete the most recent Excelsior application. You are a recipient if you signed and submitted the Excelsior Scholarship contract, even if you did not receive payment in the prior year.
This Excelsior application is for students looking to receive a first-time award for the 2020–21 academic year.
Required Documentation
As part of the New York State Excelsior Scholarship application, you will need to upload a copy of your FAFSA, also called a Student Aid Report (SAR). You can obtain a SAR by logging into your FAFSA. You will also need to upload a copy of your academic transcript from each college/university you have attended.
