Bill > A07938

This bill modifies the Excelsior Scholarship program, which provides financial assistance for New York State students attending public higher education institutions, by allowing for a modest income increase for scholarship recipients. Specifically, the bill permits a recipient's maximum allowable adjusted gross income to increase by up to three percent after their first semester of receiving the scholarship, without automatically disqualifying them from the program. The Excelsior Scholarship currently has income eligibility thresholds (previously set at $100,000 in 2017-2018, rising to $125,000 by 2019-2020) and requires students to be enrolled in at least 12 credits per semester and complete 30 credits per year. The bill updates language to use gender-neutral terms like "their" instead of "his or her" and gives the scholarship corporation discretion to determine whether additional income increases beyond the three percent might still allow a student to remain eligible. This change provides more flexibility for students whose family incomes may slightly increase during their academic career, helping to prevent sudden loss of scholarship support due to minimal income changes.

Education

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A7938