Excelsior University is offering free tuition to eligible students in its home state of New York. After applying federal and state grants, Excelsior will cover the full balance of undergraduate tuition costs and course-related fees for qualifying learners starting in the Fall 2026 trimester. Interested students can check their eligibility and learn more on Excelsior’s New York Free website.
To qualify, students must be full-time residents of New York state with an adjusted gross income of $60,000 or less; file taxes as dependents, or as independents with at least one dependent; and be eligible for both Federal Pell Grant and New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) funding. Excelsior will apply Pell grant and TAP funds first, and institutional funding may cover any additional eligible balance. Excelsior’s Admissions Office will guide prospective students through the process.
“Excelsior University serves students globally, but New York is our home. The University’s name reflects those roots: Excelsior is the New York state motto, a Latin expression meaning ‘ever upward.’ Access to higher education is central to the progress of our state’s communities and workforce, but financial barriers often stand in the way. By removing those barriers for eligible New York learners, we can help our neighbors move ever upward in their lives and careers as they contribute to New York’s future,” said Excelsior University President David Schejbal.
While Excelsior’s online and hybrid online/in-person learning programs serve students in all 50 states and around the world, New Yorkers represent the University’s largest student population. Approximately 2,500 New York residents are currently enrolled at Excelsior. In keeping with Excelsior’s mission to serve students often left behind by the higher education system, about 750 New York state learners are first-generation college students, and nearly 10% are active military service members or veterans. Excelsior educates more practice-ready nurses than any other school in the state, with more than 1,600 current New York students preparing to help address the state’s nursing shortage.
The free tuition program is available for qualifying students pursuing any of Excelsior’s undergraduate degree programs beginning in the Fall 2026 trimester, starting August 31. Excelsior offers online degree programs in business, health sciences, liberal arts, nursing, public service, and technology, aligned with New York’s workforce and community needs. Learn more at excelsior.edu.
