Scholarships at City University of New York

The Pilsbury Scholarship supports first-generation CUNY undergraduate students who demonstrate financial need and a strong commitment to completing their college degrees. Scholarship awards may reach up to $10,000 per semester for up to four semesters. Current CUNY undergraduates in good academic standing may apply whether enrolled full time or part time (minimum six credits per semester). Applicants submit a budget showing financial need, a current bursar's bill, and a 250–300 word personal statement on their decision to pursue a college degree and connection to immigrant communities. FAFSA is not required. International students are not eligible. Fall applications close July 30; spring applications close February 1 if funding remains.

The Jonas E. Salk Scholarship honors City College alumnus Dr. Jonas E. Salk, developer of the first polio vaccine. Each year eight graduates of CUNY senior colleges who have been accepted to U.S. medical or graduate schools in biomedical sciences are selected based on undergraduate research and potential to contribute to medical research. Winners receive a total of $8,000 over four years ($2,000 per year) to help defray costs of M.D., D.O., or doctoral degrees in biomedical sciences. Students must apply through their campus pre-medical office; the selection committee reviews research papers produced with CUNY faculty and scientist mentors. The award has been granted annually since 1955.

The Lucia Cammarata Memorial Scholarship provides up to $5,000 per year for up to four years toward total cost of attendance for incoming first-year students enrolled in a Visual Arts baccalaureate program at Hunter College, City College, or Queens College within CUNY. Eligible candidates must be New York State residents, incoming fall 2026 freshmen matriculated full time in a BA or BFA visual arts program, demonstrate financial need via FAFSA, and hold a minimum high school cumulative GPA of B or higher. Applicants submit a 500-word personal essay on academic challenges overcome and commitment to the arts, volunteer work, and community service. Recipients must maintain full-time enrollment, a 2.7 cumulative GPA after freshman year, and declared visual arts major.

The Belle Zeller Scholarship Trust Fund, established in 1979 by CUNY's Professional Staff Congress, honors the late Belle Zeller, founding president of the PSC and professor emerita of political science at Brooklyn College. The scholarship recognizes CUNY students who have distinguished themselves through social commitment demonstrated by community or public service and academic achievement. Belle Zeller Scholars receive $5,000 per year; CUNY undergraduates may receive the award for up to three years, while Graduate Center and professional school students receive one year. Applicants must have completed at least 16 credits at a CUNY college with a 3.75 GPA or better and a record of significant community service. Applications are submitted at bellezeller.org.

The USS Ernesto Malave Academic Scholarship was established in 1995 and renamed in 2010 to honor Ernesto Malave's contributions to CUNY student leadership. One student per CUNY campus per academic year receives this $1,500 merit-based award for demonstrating outstanding academic and leadership performance under extraordinary circumstances. Applicants must hold a minimum 3.5 GPA. The scholarship is not need-based. Current USS delegates or alternates may not apply, and applicants must plan to return for the following fall semester. Eligible students receive notifications via CUNYfirst To Do list when applications open each spring.

The Regina A. Figueroa Memorial Scholarship honors a former New York City Housing Authority resident and employee by recognizing NYCHA residents with disabilities who excel academically at CUNY. The $1,000 scholarship is awarded to qualifying NYCHA residents enrolled full time in CUNY degree programs who maintain at least a 3.0 GPA. Like the NYCHA-CUNY Resident Scholarship, applications are managed through NYCHA's scholarship program in partnership with CUNY. The award supports public housing residents pursuing higher education at any CUNY community or senior college while demonstrating academic achievement despite disability-related challenges.

The Gray STEM Scholars program at Macaulay Honors College empowers incoming freshmen pursuing careers in STEM research or medicine, with a focus on health disparities and preparation for graduate and professional education through partnerships with CUNY's PRISM program and Mount Sinai's Institute for Health Equity Research. Benefits include a laptop, fully paid tuition for eight undergraduate semesters, career development workshops, paid internships, research lab placement, and cohort-based honors community support. Applicants must apply as incoming freshmen through the Macaulay application with an overall high school average of 90 or above and intend to declare an eligible STEM major such as biology, chemistry, physics, or biomedical engineering.

The Norman L. Fuld and Renee G. Fuld Scholarship Trust Fund provides scholarships on a nondiscriminatory basis to students attending colleges of the City University of New York. Preference is given to physically handicapped students who demonstrate need and academic merit. The fund is listed among CUNY's prestigious university-wide scholarship opportunities administered through campus financial aid and scholarship offices. Students interested in this award should contact their CUNY college scholarship office for nomination procedures, application materials, and current award amounts, as disbursement is coordinated at the campus level within the trust's guidelines.