New York became the first state in the nation to offer free tuition to its public universities. The Excelsior Scholarship was announced in April 2017 by New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo to ensure that “the dream of opportunity is for everyone.” Former CUNY Chancellor James Milliken noted that it “will enable many New York State residents to attend a CUNY college tuition-free and establish a national model broadening access to higher education.”
The scholarship will be available in Spring 2023 to John Jay College students who meet the following criteria:
- Have a family income of $125,000 or less
- File the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the NYS Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) application
- Attend full-time, and complete 30 credits per year
- Agree to reside exclusively in New York state and not be employed in any other state for a continuous number of years equal to the duration of the award.
The Excelsior Scholarship will be applied to each qualifying student’s financial aid package after all other aid, including TAP, Pell, City Council Scholarship, college scholarships, and other grants or scholarships are applied. Students MUST complete the FAFSA and TAP applications BEFORE they can apply for the Excelsior Scholarship.
Students can learn more about the Excelsior Scholarship and apply for the scholarship at the NY State’s HESC site.
Spring 2023 Deadline: February 9, 2023
For information from CUNY about this scholarship, click here.