LIFE

Free college tuition has been a popular discussion topic in recent years (it really amped up during the election cycle), and it's finally becoming a reality—well, in New York at least.

The state just became the first to create a scholarship program that will offer free tuition at all City Universities of New York (CUNY) and State Universites of New York (SUNY). The Excelsior Scholarship was signed on April 8 by New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and will be put into action this fall and phased in over a three year period.

But there are some requirements, of course. The scholarship will offer free tuition to middle class families who make less than $100,000 a year and then increase until it includes all middle class families who make less than $125,000 a year in 2019. However, students must be enrolled full time and the scholarship does not cover other common costs when attending college including room and board, textbooks and meal plans. 

In order for a student to participate in the program they must be a New York state resident and cannot leave the state right after graduating from college.  The student must work and live in New York after they graduate for the same number of years they used the scholarship while in school. So if a student used the scholarship for four years then they're staying in New York for another four years.

Read more about the program and get all of your questions about the Excelsior Scholarship answered here!

How do you feel about the Excelsior Scholarship? Do you think other states should follow suit?  Let us know in the comments below! 

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by Cali Drouillard | 4/15/2017