Current APS Students

Achieve Atlanta’s mission is to dramatically increase the number of Atlanta Public Schools (APS) students completing postsecondary education. The goal of the Achieve Atlanta scholarship is to help remove the financial barriers preventing many APS students from reaching this important milestone.

The Achieve Atlanta Scholarship will support Atlanta Public School graduates who meet eligibility requirements and need assistance paying for postsecondary education. Applicants must apply during their senior year of high school.

No. Achieve Atlanta will support students along multiple paths after high school. This includes students pursuing 4-year degrees, 2-year degrees, and technical diplomas and certificates.

We fund students pursuing their first technical, associate’s, or bachelor’s credential or degree. Students who earn a technical credential or associate’s degree and have remaining eligibility may be awarded funding to continue enrollment in a bachelor’s degree program. Achieve Atlanta will not provide scholarships for more than one associate’s or bachelor’s degree. No additional degrees will be supported once a bachelor’s degree is completed.

An eligible college/university is an accredited, nonprofit private or public college or technical program. All students must be enrolled at an eligible institution by the fall immediately following high school graduation (NOTE: To use the Scholarship outside the state of Georgia, you must attend a school that has a graduation rate of 44% or higher as determined by the College Scorecard.)

Due to changes in eligibility criteria in 2021, the Achieve Atlanta Scholarship cannot be used at Atlanta Metropolitan State College (AMSC).

Scholars must use their Achieve Atlanta Scholarship at an accredited, nonprofit private or public college or technical program in Georgia. If attending a college/university outside the state of Georgia, the school must also have a graduation rate of 44% or higher as determined by the College Scorecard.

Due to changes in eligibility criteria in 2021, the Achieve Atlanta Scholarship cannot be used at Atlanta Metropolitan State College (AMSC).

No. One of the eligibility requirements is seamless enrollment at an eligible college/university immediately following graduation. If you choose to enroll at a college/university that does not meet the eligibility requirements, you are forgoing your Achieve Atlanta Scholarship.

Only in limited circumstances. To use the scholarship outside of Georgia, you must attend an accredited nonprofit/public college or technical program that has a graduation rate of 44% or higher. You can research colleges, their graduation rates, majors offered, costs, and much more at College Scorecard.

The scholarship award amount depends on if you enroll in a 2-year or 4-year college. 

• 4-year college: $5,000 per year for up to a maximum of 4 years (8 terms) of school. The funds must be used within 5 years of the Scholar’s high school graduation.
• 2-year college & technical program: $1,500 per year for up to a maximum of 2 years (4 terms) of school. The funds must be used within 3 years of the Scholar’s high school graduation.

Our awards are intended to substantially support students’ cost of attendance, but we do expect students to pursue all other possible aid (federal aid, grants, scholarships, etc.) to pay for their education. We anticipate that when combined with other sources of financial aid, the Achieve Atlanta scholarship will help students and families finance their postsecondary education and reduce the need to borrow.

It depends on the path you pursue after high school. The maximum amount of scholarship money you can receive on (or transfer to) a 4-year path is $20,000. The maximum amount on a 2-year/technical path is $3,000, or two years of scholarship funding.

Please note that these are award maximums. If you exhaust your time eligibility or maximum funded term count before reaching the maximum award dollar amount, you will not receive the full award.

Achieve Atlanta Scholarship awards can be used for any part of the cost of attendance at accredited nonprofit or public colleges/universities, in and out-of-state. Cost of attendance (COA) includes tuition, fees, room and board, allowances for books, travel, and other fees. Visit your college’s website to find the COA for your college.

Yes. The Achieve Atlanta Scholarship is renewable for up to a maximum of 2 years (4 terms) of school for students on the 2-year/technical path. The funds must be used within 3 years of the Scholar’s high school graduation.

Scholars enrolling in a bachelor’s degree program (4-year school) can renew their scholarship for up to a maximum of 4 years (8 terms) of school. The funds must be used within 5 years of the Scholar’s high school graduation.

To renew your Achieve Atlanta Scholarship for the next academic year, you must:

1. Be within the maximum time eligibility period, award dollar amount, and funded term count limits for the Scholarship;
2. Enroll full-time at an eligible Achieve Atlanta postsecondary college/university;
3. Complete the Achieve Atlanta Renewal Application every term, including uploading all required documents (your FAFSA Submission Summary, transcript, course schedule(s) and other documents as requested) to your Scholar Dashboard portal;
4. Meet the Scholarship academic requirements of earning at least 67% of credits attempted and maintaining a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA;
5. Complete the FAFSA;
6. Continue to meet our financial need criteria by submitting your FAFSA Submission Summary annually; and
7. Submit up-to-date contact information to Achieve Atlanta.