Applies to TAP/SUNY Tuition Credit, the Excelsior Scholarship, and other types of NYS Grants and Scholarships
To be eligible for New York state aid, including grants and scholarships, you must meet all of the criteria established by the New York State Higher Education Services Corporation, including the criteria below. Students who have questions about their course registration and degree applicability are strongly encouraged to speak with their academic advising office. Academic advising is a great resource to use when making your course selection during an open registration period.
Students inquiring whether or not a course is degree applicable should speak with their academic advising office.
Requirements for TAP/SUNY Tuition Credit and the Excelsior Scholarship
- You must be enrolled full time (minimum of 12 credits).
- You must be enrolled in 12 credits applicable to your program of study.
- In your final year of study and in the semester before you graduate, you are required to be full-time and be enrolled in 6 credits applicable towards your degree. In your final semester, you are required to be registered for 3 degree applicable credits or one course applicable towards your degree.
- For TAP, students who are double major or double degree must be meeting degree applicable credit requirements towards one program of study. You may enroll in elective courses (those not counting toward requirements), but they must be in addition to the 12 degree applicable credits.
- If you retake a course in which you received a D or better, you cannot count this course as part of the 12 credit minimum requirement. Exception: If you repeat a class for your major in which you did not receive the minimum grade required, credits for the repeated class will count toward your full-time status and towards your degree-applicable credits.
- Courses graded with an F, I, MG or W may negatively affect your eligibility for future semesters.
Additional Requirements Specific to the Excelsior Scholarship
- Complete your degree requirements within 4 years or 8 terms worth of study (successively). NOTE: The Excelsior Scholarship cannot exceed 4 years or 8 terms of enrollment.
- Earn at least 30 degree applicable credits each year (successively)
- Double degree and double major students may enroll in 12 credits that are applicable towards multiple programs.
- In your final year of study and in the semester before you graduate, you are required to be full-time and be enrolled in 6 credits applicable towards your degree. In your final semester, you are required to be registered for 3 degree applicable credits or one course applicable towards your degree.
- The requirement to earn 30 degree applicable credits is waived in your final year.
- If applicable, have earned at least 30 degree applicable credits in each year (successively) prior to receiving the Excelsior Scholarship. For transfer students, only coursework accepted by Binghamton University counts towards meeting this requirement.
- Students that do not meet the credit requirements for Excelsior may be eligible to submit an appeal.
Requirements Specific to the New York State STEM Scholarship
- You must be pursuing a degree in an approved STEM program and be declared in the major (Note: "Interest in" will not meet the eligibility requirement. You must be declared in the major to maintain eligibility). Explore STEM approved programs offered at Binghamton University.
- You must be enrolled full time (minimum of 12 credits).
- A minimum of 12 credits must be applicable to your major requirements (General Education or college-specific requirements) or declared major. Courses taken for a minor can only be counted as part of the 12 degree applicable credits if your major requires the completion of a minor or specialization.
- Students who are enrolled in more than one STEM-approved major must successfully complete a combined total of 12 credit hours that are applicable in their STEM-approved programs.
- Students who are double major or double program but with only one STEM-approved major must be meeting degree applicable credit requirements in their STEM approved program of study.
- In your final year of study, you are only required to take six credits applicable to your degree in the semester prior to your final term. In your final term, you are required to enroll in at least one course needed to meet graduation requirements. You must still be enrolled in a total of 12 credits (full time).
- You may enroll in elective courses (those not counting toward requirements noted in #3), but they must be in addition to the 12 degree applicable credits.
- Must earn a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.5 or higher each term after your first semester.
To find additional information about eligibility requirements, visit the HESC webpage
