Higher Education Services Corporation, New York State

Agency Web Site: https://www.hesc.ny.gov/

Mission

The Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC) provides centralized processing of student financial aid programs. HESC administers the State’s Excelsior Scholarship, the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP), the Federal Family Education Loan Program and other State and Federal aid programs.

Organization and Staffing

HESC is governed by a Board of Trustees composed of 15 members. Ten members are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate, the remaining five members serve in an ex-officio capacity and consist of the SED Commissioner, SUNY Chancellor, CUNY Chancellor, SUNY Student Assembly President, and Chair of the CUNY Student Senate. Daily operations are managed by HESC’s President and senior administrative staff.

Budget Highlights

The FY 2020 Executive Budget recommends $1.2 billion in All Funds support for HESC and projects a workforce of 176 consistent with FY 2019 levels.

The FY 2020 appropriation level represents a $28 million net decrease from the previous year reflecting estimated enrollment changes in various student financial aid programs.

In 2017, Governor Cuomo created the historic Excelsior Scholarship, a first-in-the-nation program that provides free tuition at New York’s public colleges and universities for middle class families. In FY 2020, the Excelsior Scholarship will enter the third and final year of a three-year phase-in. For the 2019-20 academic year, the Excelsior Scholarship income eligibility threshold will increase, allowing New Yorkers with household incomes up to $125,000 to be eligible. To continue this landmark program, the Budget includes $119 million to support free tuition for an estimated 30,000 students. Along with other sources of tuition assistance, the Excelsior Scholarship and State tuition assistance programs will allow approximately 55 percent of full-time SUNY and CUNY in-state students, or more than 210,000 New York residents, to attend college tuition-free.

The Executive Budget includes legislation to implement the DREAM Act, opening the doors of higher education to thousands of New Yorkers. Since 2002, undocumented students qualify for in-state tuition at SUNY and CUNY if they graduated from a New York high school or received a GED in the state. Yet, each year, many talented students who graduate from New York high schools remain unable to fulfill their potential simply because they cannot afford the tuition and lack access to tuition assistance to help pay for school. The DREAM Act will give undocumented students access to the Excelsior Scholarship, the Tuition Assistance Program, as well as other state-administered scholarships.

The FY 2020 Executive Budget also continues funding for the Get On Your Feet Loan Forgiveness Program, which provides federal student loan relief to New York residents who graduate from college and continue to live in the State for the first two years out of school if their income is not high enough to cover their student debt burden without significant financial hardship.

For more information on this agency's budget recommendations located in the Executive Budget Briefing Book, click on the following link:

Briefing Book – Higher Education (PDF)

Program Highlights

Excelsior Scholarship

The first-of-its-kind program covers tuition at New York’s public colleges and universities for families making up to $125,000 a year. Along with other sources of tuition assistance, including the generous New York State Tuition Assistance Program, the Excelsior Scholarship will allow approximately 55 percent of full-time SUNY and CUNY in-state students, or more than 210,000 New York residents, to attend college tuition-free when fully phased in.

New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP)

TAP is one of the largest need-based grant programs in the nation, and the cornerstone of New York’s student financial aid programs. In 2017-18, more than 337,500 New Yorkers attending college were awarded nearly $924 million in TAP funds to help pay their college tuition costs – with an average annual award of $3,317 per recipient.

Targeted Scholarship, Loan Forgiveness and Award Programs

During 2017-18, HESC-administered State scholarship and loan forgiveness programs provided tens of thousands of students with targeted awards towards their pursuit of a college education, with over $69 million going to support the college costs of more than 37,000 students. The Get on Your Feet Loan Forgiveness Program provides Federal student loan relief to New York residents who graduate from college and continue to live in the state for the first two years out of school if their income is not high enough to cover their student debt burden without significant financial hardship.

Note: Most recent estimates as of 1/15/2019