BINGHAMTON – Senator Fred Akshar (R) is lashing out at his Democratic colleagues in Albany for a decision to close the Excelsior Scholarship application for college bound students while keeping free tuition applications open to undocumented immigrants.

Akshar says state officials have continued to field NYS DREAM Act applications from illegal citizens while citizen students' Excelsior applications have been put on hold by New York's dominantly Democratic legislature.

“Who do they think they work for?” said Akshar. “In the midst of a crippling pandemic, why on earth would Albany’s One Party Rule slam the door in the face of law-abiding citizens and their families, only to leave it open for undocumented and illegal immigrants?”

The Excelsior Scholarship offers middle-class families and individuals making up to $125,000 per year the chance to enroll any CUNY or SUNY two-year or four-year college without being overburdened by tuition. Students under the income threshold are eligible for a max award of $5,500 to pay remaining costs not covered by other state and federal tuition grants. The program paid out roughly $66 million during its first year in 2017, helping about 20,000 students statewide.