After a Times-Union article that had quotes challenging the clarity of the state’s “free tuition” Excelsior Scholarship as it enters Year 2, SUNY Chancellor Kristina M. Johnson issued the following statement today:
“The Excelsior Scholarship Program is a monumental initiative that has transformed higher education in New York. New York was the first state in the Nation to provide free college tuition for an associates or bachelors degree for its middle class citizens. Last year the income threshold was $100,000, allowing nearly 23,000 new students to go to college tuition-free, and now we are entering the second year with an income level of $110,000, which will allow even more students to be eligible.
“This program has been a great success and we have witnessed a significant increase in applications. Yesterday, misstatements were aired by a handful of financial aid administrators about the process in implementing the program. Unofficial statements such as these create unnecessary confusion and are not productive in ensuring that this scholarship benefits as many students as possible. We are pleased with our strong partnership with the New York State Higher Education Services Corporation and the multitude of resources they continue to provide.”
See our past Excelsior coverage here.
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