STEM FAQs

The STEM Incentive Program is open to New York State high school students who graduate in the top 10 percent of their high school class, and pursue an approved STEM program at a SUNY or CUNY college or university, beginning with the fall semester following their high school graduation.

Consult the list of Approved STEM Programs of Study. If you don’t find the name of your major on the list, you can contact your college to obtain the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code. It may match one of the codes on the list, which means it is an approved major.

If your intended major is not on the list, or the CIP code of your intended major does not match one of the codes on the list, you are not eligible.

If you believe your intended major should be considered for inclusion on the list, your college can submit a Request to Add Program of Study. Requests received prior to October 1 will be considered for the award year being reviewed. There is no guarantee that programs will be added in a given year. 

If you have not declared a major, you can still apply for the STEM Incentive Program award. However, you must list an intended, approved major on your application. If you do not enter into college in an approved program of study, you will not be able to receive the award.

While you don’t have to know what exact occupation you want before you apply for a STEM award, you should be aware that the service obligation for recipients must be done in an approved occupation.

Yes. Indicate a possible college on your application that you are likely to attend. If you ultimately enroll at a different SUNY or CUNY college or university than that identified, you may still receive the award, provided you have enrolled in an approved program of study.

To apply, students must first complete the online Web Application. In addition, applicants must submit the FAFSA and the NYS Student Aid Payment Application. Applicants must also submit a copy of their most recent high school transcript to document their grade point average and have a school official complete a High School Verification Form, which identifies them as being in the top 10 percent of their high school graduating class.

No. Students previously enrolled in college are not eligible to receive a STEM award.

The STEM application opens when TAP application opens. The application period is usually open from October 1 through August 15 each year.

A high school’s NCES code can be found using the “School Search” tool on the National Center of Educational Statistics website at Search for Public Schools.

If your high school does not rank, the school must provide pertinent information for HESC to independently determine if you are in the top 10 percent of your graduating class.

Applicants will be notified by email if their application has been approved, denied, or if additional information is needed to complete the scholarship review process. Approved applicants will be notified in a separate email to review and sign the STEM Service Contract.

If you have not received a response within 4 weeks, contact the HESC Scholarship Unit at [email protected].

Applicants who wish to file an appeal may do so by providing written evidence or information that demonstrates why the initial determination was incorrect. Appeals should be mailed to: 

New York State Higher Education Services Corporation Scholarship Unit
99 Washington Avenue,
Albany, NY 12255
Attention: STEM.

A recipient is eligible for an amount up to the SUNY or CUNY undergraduate tuition, less any TAP or other tuition-specific financial aid.

The STEM Incentive Program award covers only a recipient's tuition costs. STEM Incentive Program awards cannot be applied to other educational costs such as fees, books, or housing.

If you are a STEM recipient who will also be receiving a TAP award, TAP and other forms of tuition-only aid may offset the amount of the STEM Incentive Program award you receive. Eligible students will be awarded TAP first. Any remaining tuition costs will be covered by the STEM Incentive Program award, up to the maximum award amount.

To continue receiving the STEM Incentive Program award, you must transfer to another SUNY or CUNY college/university, and you must continue to meet all eligibility requirements. If you transfer to an out-of-state college, you are no longer eligible for the STEM award. 

Once you have completed your program of study, you can still complete your service obligation in New York State to avoid repaying the STEM Incentive Program award amounts you received.

If you are no longer in an approved program of study, you will need to pay back any STEM Incentive Program award payments made on your behalf, including interest. In addition, you must notify HESC at [email protected].

If a STEM Incentive Program award recipient takes a temporary leave of absence from study due to circumstances such as maternity/paternity leave, death of a family member, or military duty, such a recipient remains eligible for the award upon his or her return to full-time study. If a recipient takes a temporary leave of absence from employment due to such circumstances, the temporary leave shall not be considered part of the recipient’s five-year service obligation; instead, the five-year service obligation will recommence when the recipient returns to work on a full-time basis.

No. Colleges will certify eligible students at the end of each academic semester. Payments will be made to the school at the end of each semester.

The STEM Incentive Program award payment is released to your school at the end of each term, provided the college certifies that you met certain eligibility requirements. You are required to apply for payment of the STEM Incentive Program award each year by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the NYS Student Aid Payment Application. Students are encouraged to complete these applications before starting college each fall. 

To receive STEM Incentive Program award payments, recipients must: 

• meet all eligibility requirements;
• complete at least 12 credits per semester that are applicable toward their program of study;
• earn a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher after each semester beginning with the second semester of the student’s first year of college 

Any semester in which the student fails to meet these requirements will result in non-payment of the STEM Incentive Program award for that semester. Eligibility can be regained for future semesters if a student’s cumulative grade point average is 2.5 or higher.

The service obligation requires recipients to live and work full-time in New York State for five years in an approved occupation after completing their postsecondary education.

You must contact HESC at [email protected] to request a grace period while attending graduate school. 

The list of Approved STEM Occupations can be found on the HESC website.

There is a six-month grace period after you graduate before you must begin working in a STEM approved occupation.

If you are experiencing extreme hardship, including difficulty finding a job, you may request a period of deferment by emailing [email protected].

Occupations involving the delivery of health care are not approved for the STEM Incentive Program. This includes, but is not limited to, nursing, dentistry, pharmacy, and veterinary medicine. The HESC website provides a list of Approved STEM Programs of Study and a list of Approved STEM Occupations.

No. Teaching majors are not STEM-approved programs of study because the primary major is teaching (ex., Secondary Education: Mathematics). STEM-approved programs are evaluated on the primary major, not the concentration. 

You will be required to pay back your STEM Incentive Program award, with interest, if you:

• fail to complete an approved undergraduate program in science, technology, engineering or mathematics; or
• change majors to a program of undergraduate study other than in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics; or
• fail to complete five years of continuous full-time employment in an approved STEM field with a public or private entity located within New York state upon completion of your undergraduate degree program; or
• fail to maintain residency in New York State for such period of employment; or
• fail to respond to requests by HESC for the status of your academic or professional progress; or
• breach the terms of the Service Contract.

• All award monies received shall convert to a 10-year student loan plus interest.
• Interest rate for the life of the loan shall be fixed and equal to that published annually by the U.S. Department of Education for Undergraduate Unsubsidized Stafford loans at the time the Service Contract is signed.
• Interest accrues from the day each award payment is disbursed.
• Interest is capitalized on the day the award recipient violates the Service Contract or on the date HESC deems the recipient was no longer able or willing to perform the terms of the Service Contract.