Scholarships are designed to provide financial help to the students. The Excelsior Scholarship is also one of them. It is awarded to the students who attend State and Central public colleges and Universities in New York (SUNY and CUNY). The Excelsior Scholarship is available in combination with other financial aid programs. To get eligible students have to comply with the eligibility criteria. The application process requires a lot of time to process because it includes various formalities and steps. Each scholarship selection process takes time due to various factors including the eligibility criteria, legal requirements, students, documents, and abilities Here, we will discuss all the factors and timelines that can influence the process of the Excelsior Scholarship and take a long time.
How Long Does an Excelsior Scholarship Take to Process?
Students are required to complete an application for the Excelsior scholarship on time, according to the deadlines. They are required to comply with their eligibility criteria because they are unable to apply until they complete their FAFSA and NYS applications. FAFSA and NYS are the important points that are considered for the student’s eligibility for the scholarship. The FAFSA and NYS form may take 7 to 10 days for their application and after that, you can apply for the Excelsior Scholarship. So, to secure the scholarship, make a proper timeline through which you cannot miss out on any important date.
Factors that Influence the Processing Time of Excelsior Scholarship
Several factors influence the processing time of the scholarship. These factors arise from the students’ end and the provider’s end. Sometimes, students do not submit their applications properly. Students make mistakes with the eligibility criteria requirements, then their correction may take a lot of time and result in the delaying process. On the other hand, the provider’s busy schedule and other formalities may take more than expected time and result in the delaying process of scholarship. The list of factors is as follows.
- Number of Applications: Sometimes, the institutions receive a large volume of applications which directly affects the processing time. The provider will not be able to verify the eligibility criteria of all the applications just after the deadline. Therefore, the processing may take time which will affect the whole procedure of issuing a scholarship.
- Policies of the Institution: After following the common policies for scholarship, each institution has its policies and timelines that they follow to provide financial aid. Your application must follow the institution’s policies and for this, you can contact the institution’s financial aid office. Evaluating scholarship applications as per the institution’s policies may take little long time and affects the processing of scholarships.
- Accuracy of the Application: Your application must be accurate and comply with the eligibility criteria and requirements. If the information you provided in your application is inaccurate or may contain any discrepancy or error, then it leads to a delay in the processing of the scholarship. The eligibility criteria are verified by the HESC. They will take a little more time to verify your application.
- Effective Communication: Try to maintain effective communication with the scholarship providers or institutions. If they contact you for any other clarification, documentation, or information, you have to respond promptly to their request. It may accelerate your processing of the scholarship.
- Changes in Details of Application: After applying for a scholarship, if any changes occur in the information regarding your financial status, residential status, contact details, etc. then you have to clarify all these errors and it will take additional verification which leads to a long processing time.
- Renewal Process: The Excelsior Scholarship is awarded for one year and renewed for four years during the time of graduation. To get a renewal, you have to check the deadlines and information updates about the renewal. You have to apply on time for the renewal process because the renewal is based on your academic performance. Due to the verification process, renewal also takes a lot of time.
Therefore, these are the points that create hurdles and disturbances in the processing of the Excelsior Scholarship. To get eligible for the Excelsior Scholarship, you have to comply with their eligibility criteria.
Eligibility Criteria for Excelsior Scholarship
- You must be a permanent citizen of the United States and if a non-resident then you need to be an eligible non-resident.
- Must complete the FAFSA application form and NYS (New York State) application form.
- You must graduate from the United States High School.
- Your Federal Adjusted Gross Income is around $125,000 or less than that.
- You must be enrolled in a course that awards at least 12 credits per term and around 30 credits in a year.
- To take advantage of this scholarship for the length of time the award is received, you should reside in NYS.
So, these are some basic eligibility criteria that you have to fulfill to secure the Excelsior Scholarship in the United States.
Conclusion
The processing of the Excelsior scholarship depends upon the various factors and due to these factors it may take a long time to process. The list of factors include the policies of the institution, number of applications, timely submission of application, accuracy of the details, the communication process between the provider and the candidate, etc. To secure an Excelsior Scholarship and for a smooth application process, comply with the eligibility criteria, deadlines, application process, accuracy of information, and effective communication with HESC. HESC (Higher Education Services Corporation) verified the applications of the candidates for the Excelsior Scholarship.