Access to financial aid makes college affordable for a greater range of students who may otherwise not attend. As SUNY and CUNY’s financial aid professionals, you are most directly responsible for connecting students to New York State financial aid opportunities, helping them manage their aid, and addressing any problems that might arise.
Financial aid professionals are crucial for helping determine Excelsior Scholarship recipients’ eligibility. Throughout the year, you help to determine student’s eligibility by verifying credits, calculating award amounts, and certifying payment eligibility at the end of the term. Below are step by step guides and resources for each of these processes.
To be an Excelsior Scholarship recipient, an applicant must meet all eligibility requirements including residency, citizenship, secondary education, income, post secondary education, credits earned prior to the scholarship and during, have default and compliance status and meet the post service requirement.
Each college must verify credits for all students who have applied for an Excelsior Scholarship award to determine whether such applicants are on-track to complete an Associate’s degree in two years or a Bachelor’s degree in four years.