scholarship

Go to SUNY Ulster Tuition-Free with the Excelsior Scholarship!

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Text composition saying Free SUNY tuition

You may have heard of the Excelsior Scholarship, but what exactly is it? Do you qualify? What does it cover? Read on to find the answers to these questions, and visit www.sunyulster.edu/excelsior to learn even more!

What is the Excelsior Scholarship?

The Excelsior Scholarship is a scholarship that, combined with other financial aid programs, allows New York students in families making less than $125,000 a year the opportunity to go to SUNY colleges for free.

What is covered by the Excelsior Scholarship?

The Excelsior Scholarship covers the tuition fee for a college education. It does not cover textbooks, housing, or any other expenses associated with being a college student.

How do I know if I qualify?

New York residents (defined as having resided in New York State for 1 year or longer) who are U.S. citizens in a family making less than $125,000 a year in their combined family household adjusted gross income and who hold a U.S. high school diploma or high school equivalency are eligible. Current college students are also eligible depending on their situation; see links at the bottom for specific details.

So what’s the catch?

Recipients of the Excelsior Scholarship must fulfill certain requirements during their time in and immediately following college. They must attend college full-time (30 or more credits a year) for each academic year they receive the scholarship. They must pass all classes each academic year, as well as maintain GPA requirements for any other financial aid they receive in addition to Excelsior. After graduating, recipients are required to live in New York for the same number of years they received the scholarship (for example, an Ulster student who graduates in May 2020 and received the Excelsior Scholarship in 2018-19 and 2019-20 must live in New York until 2022).  If the student does not live in New York for the duration following graduation that they received the scholarship for, the scholarship becomes a no-interest loan that must be repaid.

Where can I learn more and apply?

More information is available at www.sunyulster.edu/excelsior and www.suny.edu/excelsior. You can apply online at www.hesc.ny.gov/excelsior.

An Excelsior Scholarship recipient tells his story:

SUNY Ulster COIL Scholarship Recipients Travel To Mexico!

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COIL students from Mexico greet SUNY Ulster students

SUNY Ulster Students Travel to Mexico!

During the week of March 16th, 2018, SUNY Ulster students Kia Ward-Fashion Design Major, Kailey Campbell-Human Services Major, John Bove-Independent Studies/Fashion Major, and Natasha-Pico Aulicino-Business and Entrepreneurship Major all traveled to Obregon, Sonora, Mexico (the second largest city in northern Mexico) as recipients of the Sheldon COIL Academic Travel Scholarship!

Group of students and staff posed holding "Welcome Sign" for SUNY Ulster students arriving at airport in Mexico.

The Students Arrival!

The recipients were welcomed by students, professors, and staff of Universidad de la Salle NoroEste! The recipients had already met some of these students when 25 of the ULSA students traveled to SUNY Ulster to meet their COIL collaboration team in October 2017.

Large group of students sit around a rectangular cafeteria table smiling at the camera.

Young male SUNY Ulster student speaking at the front of a classroom during a presentation. Group of students in classroom sitting in desk arranged in an oval in deep discussion.

SUNY Students In The Classroom.

The SUNY Ulster students spent their week in Mexico attending classes and presenting projects to the Universidad de la Salle NoroEste classes they had COIL-ed with previously. The time outside the classroom was spent sightseeing and making lifetime friends with their host families! This was a great opportunity to dive deep into the wonderful and diverse Mexican culture, as well as utilize global citizen skills as ambassadors of SUNY Ulster.

Three female students posed to resemble the large owl mural they are standing in front of.

Group of nine smiling students posed in front of wall of Mexican artifacts. Photo of eight students and one staff member posed closely together smiling. Twelve students smiling on the sidewalk in Mexico. A group photo of students and staff posed in a classroom setting.
A huge thank you to all the hardworking individuals who helped to make this trip a possibility!

10 Tips for Scholarship Success

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Woman at the 2016 SUNY Ulster scholarship ceremony holding her award and smiling
It’s now time to apply for scholarships here at SUNY Ulster! The Ulster Community College Foundation General Application is open for students to fill out, and doing so enters them into a pool where they can possibly be matched with one or more scholarships. Both on campus and off, there are many types of scholarships: academic scholarships, need-based (financial) scholarships, sports scholarships, club or member-based scholarships, and more. Here’s some tips for increasing your odds of getting one!

#1: Start ASAP and Apply Early

Many scholarships have early application deadlines, so don’t miss out on these opportunities. You can even apply for college scholarships before you’ve started college! SUNY Ulster has an application period every year in the winter for returning and graduating students and every summer for incoming freshmen.

#2: Search Locally

Don’t stop at just Ulster; look in your community, too! Local banks, grocery stores, clubs, businesses, organizations, and churches are all potential sources for community scholarships. Also check state-funded scholarships. States have lots of money to disperse when it comes to providing education.

#3: Read the Requirements

If you apply to a specific scholarship, make sure you are eligible right from the start, so you’re not wasting your time. Also, never pay to apply for a scholarship, since these are usually scams.

#4: Follow Instructions Carefully

Errors can quickly get your scholarship application denied. Proofread it. Have someone else proofread it as well. Double check your answers to make sure you completely and accurately responded to all questions.

#5: Neatly Presented, Neatly Packaged

If your scholarship application must be mailed, use certified mail or better yet, FedEx, making your application look as professional as possible.

#6: Communicate

Make sure the application is complete and correct. If you are not sure about something in the scholarship application, don’t hesitate to ask someone at the Foundation or whoever is in charge of scholarships where you are applying for one.

#7: Check for School Specific Scholarships

If you’re graduating, check with the college you would like to attend. Usually, there are many school-specific scholarships available. Some scholarships offered through the Ulster Community College Foundation specify a preferred transfer school, so be sure to include your plans in the application to better your chances of getting matched up with these scholarships. Earning scholarships based on a transfer college can also help you make your school choice when the time comes for your final decision.

#8: Be Active, Stay Active

Being in a sports team, club, or doing some type of community service will always better your chances of receiving a college scholarship. Numerous scholarships offered through the Foundation stress community involvement as a requirement.

#9: Maintain your GPA

Keep your grades up. A higher GPA will increase your eligibility for most scholarships, on top of increasing your chances of receiving funds through Financial Aid.

#10: Ask a Foundation Employee for Help

Visiting a Foundation employee in the Clinton 203 suite can help you learn more about traditional scholarships that might be available to you, as well as any aid or special scholarships that fall outside of those covered by the General Application, like Lights for Learning.

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Even if you don’t think your chances of getting a scholarship are likely, at least fill out the Ulster Community College Foundation General Scholarship Application; there is one for current students and prospective students. If you have any other questions about Ulster’s scholarships, contact the Foundation by emailing dvoraksg@sunyulster.edu, by phone at 845-687-5293, or stop by the offices in the Clinton 203 suite on campus.

Fine Arts Student Wins Scholarship to SVA

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Chelsea Stingel standing in front of painting of flowers

From a young age, Chelsea Stingel wanted to be an artist. But she knew that to get into one of the leading art schools in the country that offered larger scholarships, she would have to build her portfolio.

SUNY Ulster’s Fine Arts Program helped her do just that, earning Stingel a $45,000 scholarship to the School of Visual Arts (SVA) in Manhattan.

Through the college’s new capstone art classes – Advanced Studio 1 and 2 – Stingel got the time to devote to working on independent portfolio pieces in a mentoring environment with professors and peers, which she says made all the difference for her to reach her transfer goals.

SUNY Ulster added the advanced studio offerings two years ago, after hearing feedback from the top art schools that said its students were producing high-quality work but weren’t doing enough independent projects.

Taught by adjunct arts instructor Chris Seubert and Art Department Chair Iain Machell, students learn how to photograph their work (with photographic equipment supplied by a Title 3 mini-grant), create an online portfolio, write an artist’s statement, and create a successful transfer portfolio and application for a four-year college. They also have the opportunity to work with faculty at the Woodstock School of Art through a partnership. Other community colleges now are creating similar portfolio-building classes.

After graduating in May with her Associate’s in Fine Arts, Stingel will enter SVA as a junior in Illustration and have about half of her tuition paid for by the scholarship over three years. She was awed by the artwork she saw at Acceptance Day and is looking forward to the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn from gifted working artists in NYC.

Stingel will pursue a Bachelor’s in Fine Arts in illustration and aspires to work in the commercial side of art doing commissions for movies or games.

The Saugerties resident originally chose SUNY Ulster to make the transition to college life easier and excelled in the fine arts program here.

“I was really impressed with the art program at SUNY Ulster,” she says. “The professors are helpful with our work and easy to talk to outside of class.”

Stingel’s self-portrait currently is on show at the SUNY Spring 2015 Student Art Exhibition at the Plaza Gallery, SUNY Plaza in Albany. This is an exhibition that highlights the projects of art and design programs throughout the SUNY system. Her art work won a further accolade and has been selected for the Best of the Year SUNY Student Art exhibition that will take place at the NY State Museum in Albany in June.