How to Win Scholarships and Grants from the State of Arizona

The State of Arizona does not offer any scholarships, but there are some grant programs.

While the State provides some financial support for qualifying students, the aid from Arizona is not as plentiful as other state governments. In fact, Arizona ranks near the bottom in the nation when it comes to how much money it gives out in financial aid for college students.

The good news is that there are still plenty of options available for Arizona students pursuing post-secondary education.

In our recent blog series, we’ve published state-level resources to make it easier for students to find government grants and scholarships for tuition and other education costs (see Alabama and Alaska for example). Given that there are so few awards offered by Arizona, we’ve included scholarship opportunities from private donors and organizations.

Whether you’re a graduating high school senior, undergraduate, or graduate student, it’s important to know that scholarships are available if you want to attend an Arizona college.

However, before doing anything else in your journey to find financial aid, it’s important to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). You can find more information about how to apply by visiting the Federal Student Aid Office of the U.S. Department of Education. It’s important to note that this is a federal program.

Arizona Scholarship Programs

There are no scholarship awards offered by the State of Arizona. However, there are a number of private organizations that offer scholarships for students studying in Arizona. For this reason, students who are enrolled in Arizona colleges or universities should complete the FAFSA to learn what federal grants you may be eligible for.

Arizona Grant Programs

There are two grants offered by the Arizona Commission for Post-Secondary Education (ACPE). Here are the details of your options:

Arizona Teacher Student Loan Program

The Arizona Teacher Student Loan Program is a need-based forgivable loan designed to financially support and to encourage college students who are Arizona residents to enter into the teaching profession and teach in a public school in Arizona.

The maximum forgivable loan is $7,000 per academic year for up to three years excluding all grants, scholarships and other tuition benefits (ex: tribal and military). Funds can be applied toward tuition, instructional materials and mandatory fees as documented in the student’s Cost of Attendance (COA) at their institution.

Students must enter into an agreement with the Arizona Commission for Postsecondary Education (ACPE) to teach in an Arizona public school in a term equal to the number of years of loan received plus one year. Additionally, students must sign a promissory note acknowledging the conditions of the loan and promising to repay the loan plus interest if the teaching obligation is not met.

Arizona Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership (AzLEAP) 

The Arizona Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership (AzLEAP) establishes a state and institutional partnership to provide student financial assistance in the form of need-based grants to low-income, undergraduate, Arizona resident students who have demonstrated substantial financial need, enabling students to attend postsecondary institutions in the State of Arizona. The grant is awarded by each participating institution. The maximum AzLEAP award for the academic year is $2,500 however; the average amount awarded is $1,000 for the academic year.

Arizona Scholarships – Private Donors

Given that there are few available scholarship and grant resources from the State of Arizona, here are two scholarship foundations that provide financial assistance opportunities to eligible students. Eligibility requirements for these prizes state that a student must attend an accredited Arizona university or college (for example: Arizona State University or Northern Arizona University). Scholarship applications for each prize are available to students on the webpages found below.

Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce: A Scholarship for Arizona College Students

The goal of the scholarship is to support and guide the next generation of business owners, managers and leaders for a better Arizona. It provides $5000 awards to juniors and seniors in business majors at NCA Accredited schools in Arizona. The students are paired with a mentor and given opportunities to participate in internships with Chamber members.

Psyched 2 Dream Scholarship: Post-Secondary Education Funding for Arizona Students

The Arizona Psychological Foundation and Aliento offer this award to support undocumented, DACA, & mixed-immigrations status. We will select 5 undocumented, DACA, or students from mixed status families to receive a $1,000 scholarship as well as mentorship through one of the AZ Psychological Foundation members.

Find More Scholarships and Grants: Financial Aid for All College Students

If you’re looking for more college scholarships and grants, you can use the BridgesEDU Scholarship Finder. It’s free and can help you get started on the road to paying for your education. The scholarship database matches you with thousands of scholarships of all different types (merit-based, need-based, etc.), which you can easily sort through on your dashboard.

You can also use our blog as a resource when applying for scholarships. We are constantly adding new resources to help you find and win prizes. Scholarships are awarded throughout the year so check back during the academic year for updates.

College is expensive. We get it. But scholarships are out there and they’re waiting for YOU!

The post How to Win Scholarships and Grants from the State of Arizona first appeared on BridgesEDU Scholarships.

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