More APS students now qualify for full University of Akron scholarship under ACT change

Correction: This story has been updated to reflect a student must test college ready in all three relevant sections of the ACT. A student's overall score does not qualify them for the scholarship. 

Potentially hundreds more Akron Public Schools students will now qualify for a full scholarship to the University of Akron after the school district adjusted the testing requirement for the Innovation Generation Scholarship.

The school board, which has been focused on issues of equity and opportunities for students, approved changing the ACT requirements to receive the scholarship. Previously, it required a student with a grade point average of 3.5 or above to score a 24 on the ACT. Students that had a GPA of 3.0 to 3.49 had to score at least a 27, which would put them in the 85th percentile on the test.

Now, students still have to take the test, but they only have to score "college ready," which requires an 18 in English and a 22 in reading and math, but can be reached across multiple administrations of the test. By reaching those benchmarks, students avoid taking remedial classes in college.

The district and the university created the Innovation Generation Scholarship in 2012 as payment from the university to APS for the Central Hower High School building. The University of Akron pledged over $13 million in scholarships for future APS students to be used until the money runs out.

But it's been hard for students to qualify, and those who do often have scholarship and acceptance offers across the country and choose to go elsewhere.

Last fall, 53 students who qualified for the scholarship chose to go to University of Akron. The scholarship is a "last dollar" grant, meaning it covers whatever is left over after a student's other financial aid or scholarships kick in. Just 30 of the 53 students had tuition that wasn't already covered, draining $63,485.60 from the fund.

Yvonne Culver, APS's director of college access, said the university asked the school district to consider changing the ACT requirement to open the opportunity to more Akron students.

The university's board of trustees is voting on making the ACT or SAT optional for admissions, a temporary change made during the pandemic that would be made permanent.

Culver said APS was aware of that possibility but still felt students should test at least college-ready to receive the scholarship, as the money is only available to them for four years. If they end up in remedial classes, they may take longer to graduate. A better option for them, Culver said, might be a place like Stark State College to start their secondary careers.

"We want to remove barriers but we also want to set students up for success," Culver said.

Students do not have to apply for the scholarship. They have to apply to the University of Akron and then fill out the FAFSA form to see what aid they already qualify for. Then the university sends APS a list of students who have been accepted and qualify for the scholarship based on their GPA and ACT score, and the school district verifies it. If the student enrolls, the money is applied to their account.

The money is only used for tuition, not room and board, unless the student qualifies for a federal Pell Grant. Pell students can choose to spend their Pell money on room and board, and then APS allows the university to use money from the Innovation Generation Scholarship fund to cover the rest of their tuition.

Culver said school counselors introduce students to the scholarship their freshman year, but make sure to put it back on their radar through high school and can nudge students who may be close to qualifying for the full ride.

For many, she said, college may seem out of reach just because of finances.

"There are kids who rule out college as a choice because they don't feel like they can afford it," she said. "So if money is not the barrier, then they don't have to rule it out."

Contact education reporter Jennifer Pignolet at jpignolet@thebeaconjournal.com, at 330-996-3216 or on Twitter @JenPignolet. 

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: More Akron Public Schools students can now earn full ride to UA