College Ready AZ
FAFSA Scholarship
Calling all high school seniors in the class of 2026! Complete your FAFSA and become eligible for a College Ready AZ Scholarship.
The new College Ready AZ FAFSA Scholarship from the Arizona Board of Regents is designed to support Arizona high school seniors who plan to attend one of the state’s public universities immediately after graduation.
Thanks to generous funding from the Arizona Community Foundation, Helios Education Foundation and Valley of the Sun United Way, 25 students will receive a $2,000 award, amounting to a total of $50,000 in scholarships. These organizations have come together to launch the College Ready FAFSA Scholarship as a vehicle to remove financial barriers and open doors to higher education for Arizona’s high school seniors.
It's easy to qualify:
- Be a current Arizona high school senior graduating with the Class of 2026
- Complete the 2026–27 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA[SB1.1]) by April 30, 2026
- Submit the College Ready AZ FAFSA Scholarship application[KS2.1], including a short essay that will be evaluated by the selection committee.
Student Selection Process
- Scholarships will be awarded each month from December through May, with the first application period opening on November 15.
- At the end of each month, all submitted [SB3.1]applications will be reviewed by a selection committee of three volunteers appointed by the Arizona Community Foundation.[
- Scholarships will be awarded based on the committee’s scoring of the short essay response submissions.
- Applications that are not selected during a review cycle will automatically roll over to the next review period for consideration.
- A total of 25 students will be awarded, each receiving a $2,000 scholarship, totaling $50,000 in disbursed funds.
|
Application Deadline
|
Review and Notification
|
Number of Scholarship Recipients
|
|---|---|---|
|
November 30
|
Dec. 1 - Dec. 15
|
4
|
|
December 31
|
Jan. 1 - Jan. 15
|
5
|
|
January 31
|
Feb. 1 - Feb. 15
|
5
|
|
February 28
|
Mar. 1 - Mar. 15
|
4
|
|
March 31
|
Apr. 1 - Apr. 15
|
4
|
|
April 30
|
May 1 - May 15
|
3
|
Rules and Guidelines
*A complete 2026-27 FAFSA form must be on file with the U.S. Department of Education at the time of entry. Students who do not have a confirmed 2026-27 FAFSA on file or have an incomplete form on file will not qualify.
**Students must submit a scholarship application that includes a short essay response, as awards will be determined by the committee’s evaluation of these essays.
***Scholarship winners will be notified by the Arizona Community Foundation via email.
