Excelsior Scholarship
The Spring 2026 application is now open.
If you have submitted the Excelsior Scholarship Application, we must wait for the NYS Higher Education Service Corporation (HESC) to process the application and determine your eligibility for the Excelsior Scholarship Program.
Current Excelsior Scholarship Recipients
Do not reapply. Be sure to complete the FAFSA and TAP applications.
Visit the NYS Excelsior Scholarship website.
Purchase College is committed to higher education access, student success, and college completion.
And now, through New York State’s Excelsior Scholarship program, a greater number of New York students and families will be eligible to earn free tuition at Purchase College.
The first-of-its-kind in the nation, the plan allows New Yorkers who earn up to $125,000 annually (as filed on your New York State Income Tax Returns) to attend a SUNY or CUNY college tuition-free.
How to Calculate the Excelsior Scholarship Awards Estimate
The Excelsior Scholarship covers any remaining gap in tuition expenses after other grants and scholarships are applied. For SUNY schools, the maximum award is $7,070.
To determine the award amount, the tuition rate charged is first reduced by the total dollar amount awarded from other student financial aid awards for the academic year, including NYS Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) award and/or federal Pell grant.