APS Award Levels & Amounts

There are 3 APS award levels offering specific award amounts for each level.

APS eligible students can receive the equivalent of 8 full-time disbursements within 8 years of high school graduation.

Start Early

To become APS eligible, you must complete specific rigorous courses during high school. In 7th and 8th grade, start planning early to meet APS curriculum requirements in high school. If you're already in high school, be sure to work closely with your counselor to ensure you're selecting APS-eligible coursework.

ACPE offers course planning tools through Kids2Careers and the APS Course Planner in AKCIS to help stay on track towards earning APS!

Be sure to review the APS Checklist to understand APS course requirements and complete 1 of 3 APS curriculum options. In addition to coursework, you must earn either a minimum qualifying GPA or test score to become APS eligible.

Preliminary APS eligibility is communicated by schools/districts during the middle of Junior year and final eligibility is communicated after graduation.

The FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is also required in order to receive the APS. On the FAFSA, an eligible Alaska institution or training provider must be listed as a receiving school. Alternately, if the institution or training provider does not receive the FAFSA, an Alternative APS Application, found in the Alaska Student Aid Portal, must be submitted.

Review the APS Checklist or Receiving APS section of this page to learn more.

Initial Eligibility

Initial Eligibility requirements for APS include: 

• Alaska residents who graduate from an Alaska high school (public, private, or home school);
• Take a rigorous curriculum (see the APS Checklist for curriculum requirements),
• Earn minimum of 2.5 GPA
  OR
  Meet qualifying score on college/career entrance exam

APS Eligibility information for high school graduates is reported to ACPE by the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development in mid August. Create an account on the Alaska Student Aid Portal (ASAP) to monitor your eligibility information.

Continuing Eligibility

All APS recipients must: 

1. Meet you school’s annual satisfactory academic progress requirements;
2. Continue to have unmet costs of attendance of $500 or more; and,
3. Complete the credit or certificate requirements listed below.

Institutions & Training Providers

To determine if the institution or training provider is eligible to participate in the Alaska Performance Scholarship program, please review our up-to-date APS Eligible Institutions & Training Providers List.

Receiving APS

To receive the first APS award, students must:

• Submit the FAFSA by the June 30th priority deadline for the academic year you plan to attend or submit the APS Alternative Application for Non-Title IV Schools by June 30th if you’re planning to attend a non-Title IV school.
• Be admitted to a qualifying degree or certificate program at a participating Alaska institution. Click here for more information on participating Alaska postsecondary institutions.
• Notify your institution before the enrollment certification deadline that you plan to attend using an APS award.
• Enroll in at least 12 credits per term to receive a full-time award (6 credits per term for a reduced half-time award); or a qualifying clock-hour CTE program.
• Have unmet costs of attendance of $500 or more after considering all other non-loan aid, such as grants and other scholarships.

After meeting APS eligibility requirements, a student has 8 years to utilize the APS award after high school graduation, unless a student qualifies for an extension. APS is paid directly to schools in two payments each year, once a student is admitted and enrolled in a program. Students can monitor their status in their Alaska Student Aid Portal (ASAP) account.

An APS award may not exceed qualifying costs of attendance (which typically include tuition; fees; required books, supplies, and equipment; room and board; and transportation) remaining after considering all other non-loan aid the student is eligible for. Students may remain eligible for up to the equivalent of 8 full-time semesters, but must fully use the APS within eight years of high school graduation. (see APS FAQs for full details) The APS can be used at any participating college or university in Alaska, or for approved career and technical education programs in the state.

Step-Up Award

Did you know?   If you are not an APS Level 1 recipient, you may qualify for a new option to Step-Up your APS level! For the terms you receive an APS disbursement, to qualify for Step-Up you must take:

• Two consecutive full-time semesters of at least 15 credits each (Undergraduate)
  Graduate students 11 credits each term
  Or
• Three consecutive full-time quarters or trimesters of at least 10 credits each (Undergraduate)
  Graduate students 7.33/7.34 credits each term
  Or
• Complete two consecutive full-time certificates if enrolled in a Career or Technical school.
• Learn more about APS Step-Up

 If you take the required credits and achieve a 3.0 or 3.5 GPA, you can Step-Up to a Level 2 or 1 APS award level. 

 It is important to know receiving an APS disbursement in any term and not taking the required credits will reset the terms that count towards Step-Up. If you are uncertain about receiving a disbursement this summer, please contact ACPE or your school’s Financial Aid Office to discuss Step-Up.

Private & Homeschool Students

Students who are privately home-schooled or attend private schools must submit a request to the Department of Education and Early Development to determine their APS eligibility. The completed request form and all supporting documents must be submitted by July 15 for a determination prior to the upcoming APS award year. 

Download the APS Private School & Homeschool Eligibility Determination Application Form

Don't forget - you must also complete the FAFSA by the June 30 priority deadline each year you plan to use the award! 

Or submit the APS Alternative Application for Non-Title IV Schools by June 30th if you’re planning to attend a non-Title IV school

Alaska Student Aid Portal

The Alaska Student Aid Portal (ASAP) provides a variety of APS information including: APS eligibility status information, award level eligibility as reported by school districts, continuing eligibility, and award usage. APS eligibility information is available by mid-August following high school graduation.

Access Here

NOTE: The student is the only person who may register for access to an ASAP account. Logging on to ASAP requires that a user affirm that the individual logging on is the student in question, so it is not possible for a parent to access ASAP on behalf of a child, even if your student is under 18.