NYS Scholarships for Academic Excellence

Awards scholarships of $500 and $1500 per year to students achieving academic excellence while in high school

Receive $500 or $1,500 per year
For high-achieving students graduating from a NYS high school and attending college full-time in NYS
Students are nominated by high schools
Must be a legal NYS resident for 12 continuous months prior to enrolling or qualified under NYS DREAM Act

Deadline & Application

Check with your high school for deadline dates.

Award

Amount

$500 or $1,500

Amount determined by:

Scholarships of $1,500 and $500 are provided to high-achieving students at registered New York State high schools.
Awards are based on student grades on certain Regent's exams.
Students are nominated by schools. Talk to your high school counselor for more information how you can receive this award!
Recipients can also receive other non-loan student aid, but the total cannot exceed the cost of attendance.

Frequency

Annual

Must complete the FAFSA and TAP application or DREAM Act application each year for payment.

Duration

Dependent on length of program

2 years for students pursuing their associate degree full-time

4 years for students pursuing their bachelor’s degree full-time

5 years for approved five-year degree programs

Any award payment received may have tax implications. Please direct any questions to a tax professional, the Internal Revenue Service, or the NYS Department of Taxation and Finance.

Eligibility

Undocumented and other immigrant students: before submitting your application material, apply for eligibility under the NYS DREAM Act.

There are no income limits for this Scholarship.

Financial Status

To receive the Scholarship, you must:

Be in good standing (a non-default status) on a student loan made under any NYS or federal education loan program or on the repayment of any NYS award, and
Be in compliance with the terms of the service condition(s) imposed by any NYS award that you have previously received.

To receive the Scholarship, you must meet the following residency requirements:

You are a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen.
You are a legal resident of New York State and have resided in New York State for 12 continuous months.

Not a citizen or eligible noncitizen? Learn more about the NYS DREAM Act application.

High School, GED, or Ability to Benefit

Graduated from high school in the United States, earned a high school equivalency diploma (GED), or passed a federally approved "Ability to Benefit" test.
Students are nominated by schools. Talk to your high school counselor for more information how you can receive this award!
Must attend college in the fall term following your high-school graduation.
If you begin study at an out-of-state school, you forfeit the right to any payments under your scholarship, even if you subsequently enroll in a program in New York State. If you plan to attend an out-of-state school, please notify HESC.

College & Program

Once in college, you must meet the following requirements:

Be matriculated in an approved program of study a public or private college in NYS.
Be in good academic standing.
Be enrolled full-time (12 hours per semester, or the equivalent), taking courses in your program of study.
Must have achieved at least a cumulative "C" average after having received the equivalent of two full years of state-sponsored student financial aid.
You may be eligible to receive payment for attendance at a regularly organized summer term for which a separate tuition charge is made, provided you:
- Earn a minimum of 24 credits applicable to your degree in the prior two semesters. The 24 credits may be earned in any combination (e.g. 15 credits spring/ 9 credits fall).
- Enroll for at least six credits (or the equivalent) and attend full-time for the preceding spring.

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