Information for youth wanting to attend college

Achieve Scholarship Program

The new Achieve Scholarship program is designed to address two critical barriers to college attendance: lack of academic preparation and financial access. High school graduates who complete any one of four sets of courses defined as rigorous earn a one-time scholarship of $1,200 to help pay for college at a public or private university or college. The Achieve scholarship, which was proposed by Governor Tim Pawlenty in January 2007 and signed into law in May, is available to students who graduate after January 1, 2008.
To be eligible, a student must:
*Have a parental adjusted gross income of less than $75,000 reported on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the academic year during which the scholarship is requested (this limit also applies to the adjusted gross income reported for independent students)
*Be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen
*Meet the definition of Minnesota resident used for state financial aid programs
*Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.
*Attend an eligible public or private postsecondary institution in Minnesota.
*Apply for the scholarship no later than 30 days after the term starts
*Successfully complete the first term of college enrollment in order to receive the second $600 installment of the Achieve Scholarship
*Complete one of the four sets of rigorous programs of study while in high school or in a home-school setting described below

Rigorous Programs of Study

1. A set of courses similar to the State Scholars Initiative with a grade of 'C' or above in each course:
*Four years of English;
*Three years of math (including Algebra I and a higher level course such as Algebra II, geometry, or data analysis and statistics);
*Three years of science (including at least two courses from biology, chemistry or physics);
*Three years of social studies; and
*One year of a foreign language.

2. Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) courses and test scores:
This program requires a minimum of two Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) courses in high school and a minimum passing score on the exams for those classes. Students must score 3 or higher on AP exams and 4 or higher on IB exams.

3. Minnesota Coursework Requirements with a grade of 'C' or above in each course:
*Four years of language arts;
*Three years of math, including one year each of geometry and two years of algebra, one of which is intermediate or advanced algebra;
*Three years of science including one year each of a biological and physical science;
*Three years of social studies; and
*Two years of a single foreign language.

4. Minnesota Dual Credit Program:
With a passing grade of 'B' or better: High school students taking BOTH a math course (Algebra 2 level or higher) AND a science course (Biology, Chemistry, or Physics) under the Postsecondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) program worth a total of at least 6 college credits.

How to Apply
Students must first graduate from high school
Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
Download and complete the Achieve Scholarship application (.pdf)
Submit the application to the Office of Higher Education along with an official high school transcript

Call the Office of Higher Education with questions at (651) 642-0567.