CollegeCounts Scholarship (Alabama)

This award was built for a group most merit programs overlook: Alabama students whose records are solid but sit just below the score lines that trigger the big automatic scholarships at the state's universities. The money behind it comes from two unusual sources: administrative fees generated by Alabama's CollegeCounts 529 savings fund (the ACES Trust Fund in state law), and surplus assets granted by the Alabama Higher Education Loan Corporation when that nonprofit student lender wound down its operations. Owning a CollegeCounts 529 account is not required to apply. Alabama's state treasurer funds this one-time award for graduating seniors and first-time freshmen enrolling in Alabama: $4,000 at a four-year college or $2,000 at a two-year college, paid across the fall and spring of the first year. Selection is competitive and weighted in a published order, starting with financial need, then ACT score for four-year applicants, high school GPA, work and activities, service, and honors. The unusual restriction is the test ceiling, because four-year applicants must have an ACT composite of 29 or below, which aims the money at students who narrowly miss large merit awards. Applications open December 1 at 12:01 a.m. CST and close February 28 at 11:59 p.m. CST. Every applicant, selected or not, hears by email by the end of April.

How hard is the CollegeCounts Scholarship (Alabama) to win?

Narrow eligibility keeps the applicant pool small, so a qualified student has a genuinely realistic shot. These are the awards worth prioritising.

What drives the odds here

Odds on a scholarship are mostly a question of how many students can enter. Each rule below changes the size of that field.

• Fewer rivalsOpen only to Alabama residents
• Fewer rivalsAn official transcript is required
• Fewer rivalsOpen to a single grade level only
• Fewer rivalsRequires at least a 2.75 GPA

How Solyo estimates this: We model the applicant field from how narrow the eligibility rules are, then divide the awards available by that field. Requirements such as essays and recommendation letters improve a serious applicant’s odds, because most browsers never complete them. These are estimates derived from each award's published structure, not reported acceptance rates, which almost no scholarship provider discloses. Treat them as a way to rank where the hours go, not as a guarantee.

Who can apply for the CollegeCounts Scholarship (Alabama)?

These are the eligibility rules Solyo verified against the official award page, translated into plain English. Your student must meet each one.

• ✓Must be a resident of Alabama
• ✓Open to high school seniors
• ✓GPA of 2.75 or higher (unweighted)
• ✓Open to U.S. citizens

What the application takes

• Transcript required. Request it from the school registrar ahead of the deadline.

Deadline and application cycle

The current deadline is February 28, 2027 at 11:59 p.m. CST. This award runs on an annual cycle, with deadlines around February 28 each year. Applications open December 1.

Applications open

December 1, 12:01 a.m. CST 2026

Applications close

February 28, 2027 at 11:59 p.m. CST

All applicants notified by email

By the end of April 2027

Payment mailed to the college

Fall and spring of freshman year

Common questions about the CollegeCounts Scholarship (Alabama)

More state grants & programs

• 802 Opportunity Grant
  Full tuition and the $100 administrative fee at CCV (last-dollar)
• Access Missouri Financial Assistance Program
  Varies by SAI and school type per statutory table (amounts prorated if funding is short)
• Alabama Student Grant Program
  Up to $3,000/yr ($1,500 per semester; actual amount depends on state funding)
• Alaska Education Grant
  $500-$4,000/yr based on need and enrollment level
• Alaska Performance Scholarship
  $3,500-$7,000/yr depending on tier
• Arizona Promise Program
  Full tuition & mandatory fees at Arizona public universities (last-dollar)

Lists this award appears on

• Alabama Scholarships and State Grants
• No-Essay Scholarships
• Merit Scholarships
• Scholarships With February Deadlines