The Excelsior Scholarship program promises free tuition at CUNY and SUNY colleges. But only 3 percent of public college students are able to take advantage of Excelsior, and students in New York City are especially neglected.

Governor Cuomo and the State Legislature established New York’s Excelsior Scholarship program with the admirable goal of providing free tuition to a large number of low- and middle-income New Yorkers, but our analysis of data from the state’s Higher Education Services Corporation shows that the program is serving very few of the students who could benefit the most from free tuition. According to our analysis, barely 4,000 of the 242,000 students attending public colleges and community colleges in New York City have benefited from New York’s Excelsior Scholarship program.

Only 20,086 students statewide received an award from the Excelsior program—or just 3.2 percent of the 633,543 undergraduates statewide. But our analysis shows that significantly fewer students in New York City have benefited. Of all students statewide who received an Excelsior Scholarship, only 20.7 percent attend CUNY institutions—even though CUNY students make up 38 percent of all undergraduate enrollment in the state.

Overall, 3,335 students attending CUNY’s senior colleges received awards from the Excelsior program—or just 2.3 percent of all those enrolled at CUNY’s senior colleges. Meanwhile, 820 students attending CUNY’s community colleges benefited from the program—just 0.9 percent of the 95,951 community college students enrolled at CUNY.

At four of New York City’s community colleges, 100 or fewer students have received an Excelsior award: Hostos Community College (34 students receiving an award) Guttman Community College (36 students), Bronx Community College (61 students), and Kingsborough Community College (100 students). At all seven community colleges in New York City combined, just 820 students received an Excelsior Scholarship. In fact, four senior colleges in upstate New York each obtained more Excelsior Scholarships than the entire community college system in New York City.

Meanwhile, only two of CUNY’s senior colleges—Hunter College and John Jay—saw more than 3 percent of enrolled students obtain an Excelsior award. At ten CUNY schools, fewer than 2 percent of enrolled students received funds.

A disproportionate share of the state’s low-income college students attend schools in the five boroughs. Indeed, 60 percent of CUNY students report household income below $30,000, including 71 percent of community college students.

Data on rejected applications reveals that the Excelsior program’s heavy credit requirements were the main obstacle for most students. Almost twice as many applicants were rejected for “not sufficient credits” as received Excelsior awards this year. The requirement that all students earn at least 30 credits in every year of enrollment is screening out the majority of applicants for the Excelsior Scholarship.

Governor Cuomo and legislative leaders should make critical reforms to the Excelsior Scholarship Program to ensure that more students who need financial assistance to attend college and earn a credential are able to qualify for this well-intended but flawed program. They should also take other steps to support student success at colleges and community colleges across the state—including helping low-income students overcome non-tuition related financial barriers. Currently, far too few of the students who enroll at SUNY and CUNY end up getting a credential. They should also take other steps to support student success at colleges and community colleges across the state—including helping low-income students overcome non-tuition related financial barriers. Currently, far too few of the students who enroll at SUNY and CUNY end up getting a credential.

The Center for an Urban Future has written extensively about the increasing importance of a college credential in New York State and the barriers that prevent students from achieving college success. Our recent work has documented both the tuition and non-tuition costs of college, and examined strategies that can ensure more students enrolled in college can graduate with a degree.

Excelsior Across New York

The Excelsior Scholarship program awarded 20,086 scholarships in 2017-18, 3.2 percent of the 633,543 undergraduate students in New York. 1

Just 20.7 percent of all scholarship recipients statewide are enrolled at CUNY, even though CUNY students make up 38 percent of all undergraduate enrollment in the state.

Just 20.7 percent of all scholarship recipients statewide are enrolled at CUNY, even though CUNY students make up 38 percent of all undergraduate enrollment in the state. Students at senior colleges were far more likely to obtain Excelsior Scholarships than community college students. Community colleges account for 48 percent of all undergraduate students in New York, but only 27 percent of Excelsior Scholarships.

Only two of CUNY’s senior colleges—Hunter College and John Jay—saw more than 3 percent of enrolled students obtain an Excelsior award.

At ten CUNY schools, fewer than 2 percent of enrolled students received funds.

At three CUNY community colleges, fewer than 61 students obtained an award.

Overall, of the seven community colleges in New York City, just 820 students received an Excelsior Scholarship this year.

Excelsior Scholarships and Undergraduate Enrollment at SUNY and CUNY Institutions,

2017–2018 School Year

Sector Excelsior Awards Undergraduate Enrollment % of Total Enrollment SUNY Community Colleges 4,603 209,233 2.2% Senior (State Op.) Colleges 11,328 181,956 6.2% SUNY Total 15,931 391,189 4.1% CUNY Community Colleges 820 95,951 0.9% Senior Colleges 3,335 146,403 2.3% CUNY Total 4,155 242,354 1.7% Community Colleges 5,423 305,184 1.8% Senior Colleges 14,663 328,359 4.5% New York Total 20,086 633,543 3.2%

Sources: NYS Higher Education Services Corporation; City University of New York Office of Institutional Research; State University of New York. 2



Excelsior at Individual Colleges

The college with the highest rate of Excelsior Scholarship awards was SUNY-Fredonia (12 percent), followed by SUNY’s Geneseo, Cobleskill, Oswego, and Cortland campuses, all with 9 percent.

The college with the lowest rate of Excelsior Scholarship awards was Hostos Community College (0.5 percent), followed by SUNY-Empire State College and Bronx Community College, both with 0.6 percent.

The college with the highest number of Excelsior Scholarship awards was SUNY-Buffalo (1,400).

Rejected Applications

The state received 63,599 applications for Excelsior Scholarships, of which 43,513 were denied, a denial rate of 68 percent.

By far the most commonly cited reason for denial was “not sufficient credits,” which accounted for 36,095 denials, 83 percent of all rejected applications.

Other cited reasons for denial include exceeding the income limit (6 percent), TAP application missing (5 percent), and non-NY resident (3 percent).

SUNY Excelsior Scholarships

Sector College Excelsior Awards Enrollment % of Total Enrollment Community Colleges Adirondack 136 3,892 3.5% Community Colleges Broome 215 5,624 3.8% Community Colleges Cayuga County 70 3,784 1.8% Community Colleges Clinton 34 1,583 2.1% Community Colleges Columbia-Greene 29 1,623 1.8% Community Colleges Corning 95 3,834 2.5% Community Colleges Dutchess 132 9,061 1.5% Community Colleges Erie 289 11,135 2.6% Community Colleges Fashion Institute 290 8,661 3.3% Community Colleges Finger Lakes 224 6,353 3.5% Community Colleges Fulton-Montgomery 60 2,403 2.5% Community Colleges Genesee 127 5,906 2.2% Community Colleges Herkimer County 89 2,632 3.4% Community Colleges Hudson Valley 320 11,020 2.9% Community Colleges Jamestown 95 4,463 2.1% Community Colleges Jefferson 93 3,460 2.7% Community Colleges Mohawk Valley 144 6,506 2.2% Community Colleges Monroe 361 12,907 2.8% Community Colleges Nassau 240 19,059 1.3% Community Colleges Niagara County 165 5,439 3.0% Community Colleges North Country 21 2,006 1.0% Community Colleges Onondaga 278 10,659 2.6% Community Colleges Orange County 153 6,601 2.3% Community Colleges Rockland 125 6,950 1.8% Community Colleges Schenectady County 68 6,588 1.0% Community Colleges Suffolk County 456 26,756 1.7% Community Colleges Sullivan County 26 1,565 1.7% Community Colleges Tompkins Cortland 77 2,632 2.9% Community Colleges Ulster County 60 3,560 1.7% Community Colleges Westchester 131 12,571 1.0% State-Operated Colleges Albany 995 13,508 7.4% State-Operated Colleges Alfred State 357 4,188 8.5% State-Operated Colleges Binghamton 935 13,724 6.8% State-Operated Colleges Brockport 594 7,180 8.3% State-Operated Colleges Buffalo State 525 8,527 6.2% State-Operated Colleges Buffalo Univ 1,400 21,020 6.7% State-Operated Colleges Canton 167 3,183 5.2% State-Operated Colleges Cobleskill 212 2,297 9.2% State-Operated Colleges Cornell Stat 27 5,852 0.5% State-Operated Colleges Cortland 552 6,346 8.7% State-Operated Colleges Delhi 243 3,467 7.0% State-Operated Colleges Empire State 63 9,810 0.6% State-Operated Colleges Envir Sci & Forestry 89 1,791 5.0% State-Operated Colleges Farmingdale 319 9,552 3.3% State-Operated Colleges Fredonia 521 4,393 11.9% State-Operated Colleges Geneseo 516 5,524 9.3% State-Operated Colleges Maritime 53 1,641 3.2% State-Operated Colleges Morrisville 216 3,063 7.1% State-Operated Colleges New Paltz 453 6,733 6.7% State-Operated Colleges Old Westbury 205 4,635 4.4% State-Operated Colleges Oneonta 486 5,940 8.2% State-Operated Colleges Oswego 632 7,125 8.9% State-Operated Colleges Plattsburgh 338 5,351 6.3% State-Operated Colleges Potsdam 210 3,321 6.3% State-Operated Colleges Purchase 264 4,063 6.5% State-Operated Colleges Stony Brook 830 17,293 4.8% State-Operated Colleges SUNY Poly 126 2,179 5.8%



CUNY Excelsior Scholarships

Sector College Excelsior Awards CUNY Enroll % of Total Enrollment Community Colleges BMCC 231 26,932 0.9% Community Colleges Bronx 61 10,935 0.6% Community Colleges Guttman 36 1,066 3.4% Community Colleges Hostos 34 7,211 0.5% Community Colleges Kingsborough 100 15,034 0.7% Community Colleges LaGuardia 173 19,373 0.9% Community Colleges Queensborough 185 15,400 1.2% Senior Colleges Baruch 362 15,253 2.4% Senior Colleges Brooklyn 348 14,689 2.4% Senior Colleges City 343 13,210 2.6% Senior Colleges Hunter 567 16,844 3.4% Senior Colleges John Jay 404 12,916 3.1% Senior Colleges Lehman 168 11,978 1.4% Senior Colleges Medgar Evans 81 6,652 1.2% Senior Colleges NYCCT 244 17,279 1.4% Senior Colleges Queens 374 16,680 2.2% Senior Colleges Staten Island 290 12,509 2.3% Senior Colleges York 154 8,393 1.8%

Sources: NYS Higher Education Services Corporation; City University of New York Office of Institutional Research.

1. Note that this total excludes two colleges at which fewer than ten students received grants. The precise number of awards was therefore suppressed for reasons of student privacy.

2. For SUNY enrollment data, click here. For 2017-18 CUNY enrollment data click here.

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