NYS Scholarships for Academic Excellence provide up to $1,500 per year for up to five years of undergraduate study in New York State.

Eligibility

Students must:

• Have graduated from a New York State high school
• Study full time and be matriculated in an approved undergraduate program of study in a New York State postsecondary institution
• Be in good academic standing
• Not be in default on any state or federal student loan or on any repayment of state awards
• Be U.S. citizens or qualifying noncitizens
• Be New York State residents

Award Amount

This program provides scholarship assistance to outstanding New York State high school graduates. Each year, 8,000 scholarships are awarded—up to 2,000 scholarships of $1,500 and 6,000 scholarships of $500 to top scholars from registered New York State high schools. Awards are based on student grades on certain Regents exams. Recipients can also receive other non-loan student aid, but the total cannot exceed the cost of attendance.

Duration

The scholarship must be used within seven years commencing with the first academic year for which the scholarship was awarded. During this period, students are entitled to payment for up to four years of full-time study, or five years if enrolled in a bachelor degree program approved as a program normally requiring five years of study.

How to Apply

To apply, see your high school guidance counselor.

Notification Procedure

The State Education Department will notify the students who have been nominated by their high schools to receive the scholarship. The Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC) also receives notification from the State Education Department. To receive payment of the scholarship, the student must submit an application for payment to HESC by June 30 of each year for which assistance is sought. Application for payment is made by filing out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the NYS Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) online applications.

Revocation

The scholarship will be revoked if the student begins study at an out-of-state institution. A student who is ineligible to receive payment of the scholarship during the first academic year of eligibility due to enrollment at an out-of-state institution loses all future eligibility for the award. The scholarship cannot be reinstated even if the student subsequently enrolls in a program of study at a New York State institution.