On April 11, 2017, New York became the first American state to make four-year public colleges tuition-free for those under an earnings threshold.
[1] New York State's Excelsior Scholarship provides in-state, public college tuition for residents whose families earn below a set annual income cap: $100,000 in 2017.
This amounts to an annual savings between $4,000 and $6,500, depending on whether the student attends a community college or a four-year school.
[3] After graduation, Excelsior students must live and work in New York for as many years as they received the scholarship.
[5] In addition, the Excelsior Scholarship pays for only tuition and so has been assailed for not helping poorer students who can't afford books or living expenses.