Rachel Silberstein is reporting for the Times Union the state's Excelsior Scholarship has been restored, following passage of the federal stimulus package. The New York Higher Education Services Corporation sent applicants a notice December 29, advising that enrollment is open for the upcoming spring semester. The grant allows students from households earning less than $125,000 a year to attend state and city colleges tuition-free. As a last-dollar program, it supplements the cost of tuition after other financial aid resources are exhausted. To be eligible, students must be taking 30 credits a year and pass their classes. Recipients must also agree to work in New York for four years after graduation or treat the grant as a loan. The scholarship, introduced by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, has benefited 30,000 students since it was announced in 2017. The Excelsior program was rolled back this year because of COVID-19 budget constraints and the grants were not made available to new applicants for the fall semester. Read the full story in the Times Union.