Dear Parent/Student/Guardian,

This year, Governor Cuomo and the New York State Legislature enacted the nation's first tuition-free degree program for full time students: the Excelsior Scholarship.  A college education is increasingly necessary to secure the jobs of tomorrow, and the Excelsior Scholarship ensures New York's students have access to a quality education and the skills they need to succeed.  The Scholarship is available to students enrolled at a SUNY or CUNY community college or university beginning in the fall of 2017.

More than 940,000 middle-class families across New York State will be eligible for the Scholarship.  How do you know if you qualify?  The requirements are simple:

Students must:

• Be residents of New York State
• Enroll in a SUNY or CUNY two- or four-year degree program
• Take 30 credits per calendar year (including winter and summer sessions)
• Plan to live and work in New York following graduation for the length of time they participate in the scholarship program

The program goes into effect immediately, and is available for students whose families earn up to $100,000 annually beginning in the fall of 2017.  It will extend to families making up to $125,000 annually by 2019.

The application will be available starting June 7th.  To receive an electronic notification when the application is live, we encourage you to enter your email in the Excelsior Alert Form on the HESC website: www.hesc.ny.gov/excelsior.

Please find additional information below on the benefits of the scholarship and how to apply.  Students and their families can also visit www.hesc.ny.gov or www.ny.gov/college to learn more, and text COLLEGE to 81336 for updates.

Sincerely,

H. Carl McCall

Chairman, The State University of New York

Board of Trustees

William C. Thompson, Jr.

Chairman, The City University of New York

Board of Trustees