Honors College

Honors courses are small, personal and engaging — you’ll get to know your classmates and faculty members quickly and well. Honors College students are also eligible for special opportunities, including:

• HVCC Foundation Honors College Award of up to $3,000 per academic year for full-time Honors College students. See the Financial Assistance section below for details about eligibility, award requirements and other funding available to Honors College students.
• Membership in Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, the National Collegiate Honors Council, and the Northeast Regional Honors Council.
• Early registration for classes.
• Service learning opportunities.
• Internships and research experience.
• Access to prestigious scholarships.
• Exceptional transfer opportunities to four-year institutions, including program-to-program agreements.
• Designated lounge on campus.
• Social events.
• Special recognition at graduation.

Hudson Valley Community College is committed to ensuring that cost is not a barrier to participating in the Honors College. Every student accepted into the Honors College will have eligible tuition, required fees and books covered through a combination of financial aid, scholarships and the HVCC Foundation Honors College Award, as outlined below.

A Partnership in Making College Affordable
  As part of the Honors College experience, students will participate in a dedicated financial aid session in the Financial Aid Lab, where Financial Aid professionals will provide hands-on assistance with completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) and Excelsior Scholarship applications.

Students are required to complete the FAFSA, TAP and Excelsior Scholarship applications each year so that all available federal and state financial aid can be identified and applied toward their educational costs. Students are also encouraged to apply for additional financial aid, scholarships and awards that may help cover educational expenses.

HVCC Foundation Honors College Award
Full-time students enrolled in the Honors College are eligible for the HVCC Foundation Honors College Award of up to $1,500 per semester and $3,000 per academic year for two consecutive years at Hudson Valley Community College, provided they remain in good academic standing in the Honors College.*

After applicable federal and state financial aid and other scholarships are applied, the Honors College Award will help cover remaining eligible costs for tuition, required fees and books, up to the award maximum. Tuition and required fees are covered first before remaining award funds are applied toward books and other eligible educational expenses. The combination of all awards cannot exceed the cost of attendance.

The Honors College Award is a last-dollar award, meaning other applicable financial aid and scholarships, including other HVCC Foundation scholarships, are considered first. The Honors College Award then helps cover remaining eligible tuition, required fee and book expenses, up to the award maximum.

Students who are ineligible for certain federal or New York State financial aid programs will not be disadvantaged. Students who are ineligible for available aid, or whose eligible tuition, required fees and book expenses are not fully covered by other applicable assistance, may receive Honors College Award funding toward those remaining expenses, subject to the $1,500-per-semester and $3,000-per-academic-year award maximum.

The HVCC Foundation also offers many other scholarships, and Honors College students are encouraged to apply for additional awards for which they may be eligible. Applications are available in the Fall and Spring semesters.

Together, available federal and state financial aid, applicable scholarships and the HVCC Foundation Honors College Award will cover eligible tuition, required fees and books for every accepted Honors College student.

*To remain in good academic standing in the Honors College, students must maintain an overall 3.5 GPA each semester, participate in at least six Honors College volunteer activities each semester, complete a service project in term 3 and present at the Honors College Showcase in term 4.

College Work + Learn Program
Honors College students will receive priority in the College Work + Learn Program, which provides opportunities for students to progress from career exploration to increasingly substantive professional experiences, including paid internships.

The program recognizes that meaningful learning can take place in many settings, including on campus, with employers, in community organizations, through academic courses, research and service, abroad, and in a student’s current workplace, provided the experience is intentionally designed and appropriately assessed.

Additional Financial Assistance
Honors College students with additional financial need will have the opportunity to explore other scholarships and financial assistance available through Hudson Valley Community College and the HVCC Foundation. Depending on eligibility, students may qualify for other federal and state grants, additional Foundation scholarships and other forms of financial assistance. Additional support may also be available through programs such as the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) and Advancing Success in Associate Pathways (ASAP).

For additional information about financial aid, contact the HVCC Financial Aid Office at (518) 629-7150.

• Biological Sciences AS
• Biotechnology AS
• Business Administration AS
• Computer Information Systems AS
  • Computer Information Systems Computer Science Track AS
• Criminal Justice AS
• Digital Art and Design AS
• Early Childhood and Childhood Education Studies AS
• Earth Science AS
• Engineering Science AS
• English AA
• Environmental Science AS
• Exercise Science AS
• Forensic Science Studies AS
• Hacking and Cybersecurity AS
• Health & Wellness Studies AS
• Health Science AS
• History and Political Science AA
• Liberal Arts & Sciences - Adolescent Education (Teacher Education Transfer) AS
• Liberal Arts and Sciences AA
• Mathematics and Science AS
• Physical Education Studies AA
• Physical Sciences Chemistry Track AS
• Physical Sciences Earth Science Track AS
• Physical Sciences Physics Track AS
• Psychology AA

• 13-credit core sequence
  These courses fulfill the SUNY GenEd requirements for the respective program affiliated with the honors program.
  • Honors College Forum (1 credit)
  • Honors Composition I (3 credit)
  • Honors Composition II (3 credit)
  • Honors Public Speaking (3 credit)
  • Honors Science, Technology and Society (3 credit)
• Honors Service Project
  Students are required to complete a service project in their second year and will present their work in the Honors College Showcase in the fourth semester at HVCC.
• Center for Service Learning & Civic Engagement at HVCC
  Opportunities for volunteering and incorporating service learning into coursework.
• Volunteering
  Students are required to engage in six Honors College volunteering activities per semester.
• ePortfolio
  Digital platform that allows students to keep track of course work and service, highlight accomplishments and reflect on their progress.

NOTE: Students must maintain a GPA of 3.5 to remain in good standing with the Honors College.

Upon the completion of this program, students will be able to:

• Demonstrate a high-level of academic knowledge and apply connections to ideas in different disciplinary areas of study.
• Demonstrate excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Apply civic skills through participation in service learning and engagement.
• Demonstrate ethical reasoning by analyzing diverse moral, social, political or cultural perspectives.
• Engage in self-reflection and document progress in the program using an ePortfolio.