Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for the STEP Academy program a student must be:

• Enrolled in grades 7 -12 with good academic standing with a minimum grade point average of 80 overall, and an 80 or above in both math and science courses.
• A resident of New York State (A student is considered a New York State resident if he or she resides in New York State and has lived in New York State for the last two terms of school prior to entry into the STEP program or resided in New York State for at least 12 months immediately preceding the first term for which he or she is seeking participation in the program.)
• A member of a historically underrepresented group (as defined by the New York State Education Department) in the scientific, technical, health-related, and licensed professions. This includes African-American, Hispanic/Latino, Native American Indian, and Alaskan Native or must qualify as economically disadvantaged based on the household income criteria indicated in the following table.

Income Eligibility Criteria 2023 -2024

* For 2023-24, add $8,732 for each additional family member in excess of 8.

Submitting a Complete Application

Admission to the STEP Academy is selective and based primarily on a student’s academic record. Interested students must submit a completed program application by the stated deadline. Personal essays, report cards or transcripts, teacher evaluations, and income verification documents (for students claiming eligibility based on economic factors) are essential components of the application. We are unable to consider incomplete applications.

Program Expectations

Once admitted to the program students are expected to:

• Attend and participate in all STEP activities and classes
• Arrive at STEP sessions on time and ready to participate with applicable assignments and materials
• Conduct themselves in a manner conducive to their own learning and to the learning of others