Merit-Based Scholarship Policy for Graduate Students

Merit-Based Scholarship Policy for Graduate Students

Effective Spring 2026 and beyond

The following requirements pertain to all graduate students enrolled at SUNY Polytechnic Institute (“SUNY Poly” or the “College”) with scholarship awards. Merit scholarships for graduate students are provided for a maximum of three full terms.*

(* Fall and spring are referred to as full terms.)

1. Academic Requirements:
   1. Students must be matriculated in a graduate program and be enrolled full-time (at least 9 credit hours) in courses required for their degree each full term that they are receiving the scholarship.
2. Renewal Requirements:
   1. For renewal eligibility, the Financial Aid Office will review the academic records of all graduate scholarship recipients at the end of each full term after grades are posted and academic history is updated to reflect cumulative grade point averages (GPA).
      1. Students with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher will maintain their scholarship award for the following full term (fall and spring terms are full terms).
         1. Students receiving a scholarship renewal must register for coursework no later than four weeks after their assigned advance registration time slot, and pay their bill by the posted due date or risk losing their merit scholarship.
      2. Students with a cumulative GPA of less than 3.0 will lose their scholarship award for the following full term.
         1. Students will receive notification of scholarship revocation from the Financial Aid Office via their SUNY Poly email account within three weeks after final grades have been posted.
3. Reinstatement Request Process:
   1. Students who lose their scholarship for failing to meet the cumulative GPA requirement can request scholarship reinstatement for a future full term of study upon successfully attaining a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.
      1. The request for reinstatement must be emailed by the student (not a student representative, parent or guardian) to the Graduate Admissions Office (graduate@sunypoly.edu).
      2. The deadline to request fall term reinstatement is July 1; the deadline to request spring term reinstatement is January 1.
4. Withdrawal, Medical Leave and Suspension:
   1. Students who drop below full-time enrollment or request a full withdrawal for any reason (voluntary, or medical) before full tuition liability has been reached will lose their scholarship award for the current and future terms. This includes students who stop attending classes and are therefore considered to have withdrawn. These students may be liable for charges based on the SUNY Withdrawal Policy.
      1. Students may have their scholarship award reinstated upon their return as a full-time student by contacting the director of financial aid after they have registered for classes.  The reinstatement of the scholarship is conditional upon the student being in compliance with all other scholarship requirements.
   2. Students who drop below full-time enrollment or request a full withdrawal for any reason (voluntary or medical) who have reached full tuition liability will be allowed to retain their scholarship during the term in which they have withdrawn, but will lose the scholarship for future terms based on not maintaining full-time status. (Students must be responsible for full-time tuition charges to be eligible to retain their scholarship for the current term). Current term withdrawal schedules can be found on the Academic Calendars page. 
      1. Students may have their scholarship award reinstated upon their return as a full-time student by contacting the director of financial aid after they have registered for classes.  The reinstatement of the scholarship is conditional upon the student being in compliance with all other scholarship requirements.
   3. Students involved in a student conduct matter will maintain their scholarship during the pendency of the student conduct process. At the conclusion of the student conduct process, any student suspended or expelled from SUNY Poly will lose their award for the current and all future terms. Scholarship awards will be pro-rated to date of a final determination. Students suspended or expelled from SUNY Poly for conduct matters will be responsible for any resulting charges on their account (consistent with SUNY Poly policy as documented in the SUNY Poly Student Handbook.
      1. Suspended students can appeal for award reinstatement only after: (a) completing one additional term of full-time study at the College without their scholarship award; and (b) providing documentation that they are in good standing and in compliance with all conduct-related sanctions at the time that the appeal form is submitted. Financial Aid Reinstatement Appeal Form.
5. Miscellaneous Provisions:
   1. SUNY Poly reserves the right to revoke any scholarship award at any time for a student who has not met any of the criteria set forth in the then existing applicable policy.
   2. The total amount of a student’s scholarship combined with other aid awards may not exceed the yearly cost of attendance. Scholarships may be reduced to comply with this provision.
   3. While this updated Merit-Based Scholarship Policy for Graduate Students is effective beginning Spring 2026, it may be updated from time to time. If changes are made, a notice will be sent to students who are affected. Any scholarship determinations will be based on the then existing policy (including any future changes).
   4. All scholarship awards are contingent upon the availability of funding.

Approved October 2025.