Does the Excelsior Scholarship apply to private colleges?

I'm interested in the Excelsior Scholarship since I live in New York, but I'm planning to apply to some private colleges. Does anyone know if this scholarship covers private institutions or just public ones?

The Excelsior Scholarship, as part of New York State’s Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC), is a program set up primarily for New York State public colleges and universities, including those under the State University of New York (SUNY) system or the City University of New York (CUNY) system. To my knowledge, it does not extend to private colleges.

However, there's another program called the Enhanced Tuition Awards (ETA) program which is designed for private, not-for-profit institutions. Similar to the Excelsior Scholarship, the ETA helps eligible students enrolled at participating private colleges pay for tuition. Not all private colleges participate, though, so you would need to check if the specific private colleges you're interested in are part of the program.

Remember that each program has its own eligibility requirements, including a certain GPA and credit load, as well as the commitment to live and work in New York State after graduation. It's important to look into these details when planning your college funding strategies.