Act Now to Receive Free Tuition (NYS Excelsior Scholarship)

The Excelsior Scholarship program will open in December 2024 for the spring semester.

How to Apply

• To receive the Excelsior Scholarship, you must first apply for:
  • Admission to RCC, if you have not done so already
  • 2024/25 FAFSA
  • 2024/25 NYS TAP

NOTE: The FAFSA and TAP applications must be completed 5 days prior to the closing date to ensure that NYS can process your Excelsior Scholarship application.

Eligibility

• Family’s federal Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) must be less than $125,000. Student must meet general NYS grant eligibility criteria:
  • A resident of New York State for one year
  • High School graduate, GED/HSE recipient, or gain acceptance into RCC’s 24-credit program
  • Attend full-time (12 credits or more per semester)
  • Earn 30 credits each year and make progress to graduate on-time (in two years)
• Student must agree to live/work in New York State after leaving college for the number of years equal to the awards received
• Failure to meet the live/work requirement results in the scholarship’s conversion to an interest-free loan

Continuing RCC Students

• Must have started in Fall 2023 or later
• Must have attended full-time in consecutive semesters (no breaks in attendance)
• Must have earned 30 credits per year and be progressing towards degree within 2 years from start
• Must be working on a first degree (students with prior AA’s or BA/BS’s are not eligible)

Learn More

• Contact Financial Aid
• For more information visit www.hesc.ny.gov