Applicant Portal

Application Instructions

Eligibility

To apply, you’ll need to meet all of the following:

• Alabama resident graduating from an Alabama high school (homeschool also accepted)
• A C+ average or higher
• Planning to attend an in-state Alabama college or university

This application is for students graduating from high school in 2027. Already in community college or college? Watch for the Community College Transfer Scholarship, which opens in January 2027.

Timeline & Important Dates

• Application deadline: January 15, 2027 at 11:59 p.m. Central Time.
• Please file your 2027–28 FAFSA, including your Student Aid Index (SAI), before you submit. You’re welcome to start and work on the application before the FAFSA is finished.
• The application is a fillable PDF that needs to be saved to your computer. It is not saved on our website, so remember where you save it. Save it frequently so you don't lose your work (Ctrl+S on Windows, Cmd+S on Mac), and return to it as many times as you need.
• Before you submit, please make sure the checklist on the first page of the application is fully checked and the certification in Section 13 is signed.

How to Apply

1. Download the application (Step 1 below) and save it to your computer.
2. Before anything else, submit the Recommender Intake Form (Step 2). Your recommenders are emailed right away, so they have months, not days, to write, and your school counselor gets a heads-up that you have started.
3. Complete every section of the application at your own pace, then upload it with your attachments through the Application Submission Form (Step 3).

Sections You Will Complete

1. Applicant Information
2. Household & Family Context
3. Financial Need (FAFSA, Pell Grant, SAI, Work-Study)
4. Your School & Academic Opportunities
5. Colleges You Are Applying To
6. Other Scholarships
7. Work & Responsibilities at Home
8. Community Service & Volunteer Activity
9. Activities, Leadership & Athletics
10. In Your Own Words (essays)
11. Letters of Recommendation
12. Understanding & Commitment
13. Certification & Signature

The work, service, activities, and essay sections are your chance to tell us about yourself. Everyone has strengths worth sharing, including the responsibilities you carry at home, so don’t be shy about what you’ve accomplished.

Attachments You’ll Need

Please send every attachment as a PDF rather than a screenshot or image, unless otherwise indicated.

• This application, filled out completely
• FAFSA Submission Summary (Section 3). If you’ve filed but don’t have your Submission Summary yet (for example, it’s still processing), submit everything else and explain why in the submission form.
• Most recent transcript (Section 4)
• ACT or SAT score report (Section 4)
• Essays, as a single combined PDF containing your responses to Prompts A, B, and C and any optional prompts (D, E, F, G) you answer (Section 10). Write them in a separate document, such as Microsoft Word or Google Docs, then save them together as one PDF.
• Two letters of recommendation, with an optional third — provided separately by your recommenders after you enter their information in the Recommender Intake Form (see below)

Making a PDF

• Paper documents: scan them and submit the PDF of the scan. If you don't have a scanner, ask your counselor for a PDF version, or use a free phone app such as Adobe Scan (iPhone / Android). iPhones can also scan to PDF from the Notes app, and Android phones from the Google Drive app.
• Essays: save your document as a PDF first, then upload the PDF rather than the Word file. In Word: File → Save As (or Save a Copy) → choose PDF. In Google Docs: File → Download → PDF Document. Short video walkthrough.

Recommenders

List two people who know you well and can speak to your character, work ethic, and potential; you may add an optional third — a teacher or counselor, coach, employer or supervisor, mentor, faith leader, or another community adult who has directly observed your work or responsibilities. Ask each recommender whether they would be willing to write a letter for you, then enter their contact information in the Recommender Intake Form as soon as you begin your application. Double-check every email address: a correct address is how each recommender receives your request. If your school counselor is also one of your recommenders, that’s fine: enter the same email address for them in both places on the form. Recommenders submit their letters directly; they are not attached to your application.

Each recommender will receive a short form asking for (1) brief ratings of your academic ability and potential, maturity and responsibility, and work ethic and tenacity, with specific examples; and (2) a narrative paragraph or two describing your achievements, the obstacles or responsibilities you have navigated, and your readiness for college-level work. Share this with them so they know what to expect.