§ 670-a. Empire state scholarships of excellence. 1. Number and
certification. One thousand empire state scholarships of excellence
shall be awarded each year. Such scholarships shall be allocated as
provided in article thirteen of this chapter to eligible students
certified to the president by the commissioner.

2. Duration. A scholarship shall entitle the recipient to an annual
award for not more than four academic years of undergraduate study, or
five academic years if the program of study normally requires five years
as defined by the commissioner pursuant to article thirteen of this
chapter.

3. Amount. The annual award shall be in the amount of two thousand
dollars provided in no event shall the amount of the annual award exceed
the recipient's cost of attendance at the institution attended. Cost of
attendance shall mean tuition, required fees, laboratory and other
instruction related expenses, books, transportation, room and board. The
cost of attendance however shall be reduced by the amount the recipient
shall receive or would be entitled to receive as a Pell grant pursuant
to section one thousand seventy-a of title twenty of the United States
Code. Anything in this article to the contrary notwithstanding, a
recipient of an empire state scholarship of excellence may concurrently
receive with such award any other academic or general award for which he
or she may be eligible provided however in no event shall the
combination of all such awards exceed the recipient's cost of attendance
at the institution.