As a junior in high school in New York, I'm starting to look into financial aid options for college. I've heard there are specific scholarships provided by New York State. Can anyone share more about these scholarship opportunities and what the qualifications typically are? I'm trying to gauge what I should focus on in terms of application requirements or activities to increase my chances of getting one.
Certainly, New York State offers several scholarship programs for its residents, a couple of the notable ones include the Excelsior Scholarship and the New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP).
The Excelsior Scholarship provides tuition coverage for New York resident students attending two or four-year public colleges (SUNY or CUNY) in New York. To qualify, your family's household income must be under $125,000 per year. Applicants need to be enrolled at least full time and must agree to live in New York State for the length of time the scholarship was received after graduation.
The New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) helps eligible New York residents attending in-state post-secondary institutions pay for tuition. Depending on your income, TAP grants range from $500 to $5,665 per year.
The qualifications for these scholarships typically focus on your financial status, your status as a resident of New York, and your attendance at an eligible institution. Beyond this, maintaining satisfactory academic progress is generally required, such as earning a specific number of credits per semester and maintaining a certain GPA.
It's important that in your senior year, you fill out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) to apply for these state scholarships. After completing the FAFSA, you'll be directed to complete the TAP application.
In terms of activities, there isn't a specific requirement related to extracurriculars or community service for these scholarships, as they are primarily need-based. However, keeping your GPA up and taking a rigorous course load can help if there are academic standards you need to meet or maintain for these scholarships.
Remember, these are just a few of the scholarships offered by the state of New York, and you may qualify for more than one. It is worth spending some time on the HESC (Higher Education Services Corporation) website to explore all the state financial aid options available to you. Good luck with your scholarship search!
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