Grants and Scholarships

American College of Education (ACE) offers various institutional and non-institutional Grant/Scholarship funds which are educational in nature and are awarded by the College to fulfill our mission of providing high-quality, affordable, and accessible online education to current and future ACE students.  

ACE Scholarships 

New and current ACE students are eligible for the following scholarships. A full list of scholarship eligibility requirements is available in the scholarship application accessible in MyACE Portal.  

Board of Trustee Scholarships  

Open to New or Current Degree or Certificate-Seeking Students in All Programs and Majors 

ACE offers seven (7) $500 Board of Trustee scholarships each term and one (1) annual Board of Trustee memorial scholarship to be awarded to eligible students. These scholarship opportunities are inspired by ACE’s current and past Board of Trustees members. 

• The Dr. Deborah Jewell-Sherman Scholarship is awarded to a student within a multicultural school system or other organization and who demonstrates exemplary leadership. 

• The Dr. Don McAdams Scholarship is awarded to a student who is interested in becoming a change agent by stepping into a leadership role. 

• The Dr. Rod Paige Scholarship is awarded to an urban teacher who has demonstrated commitment to transforming the student experience. 

• The Admiral Thomas B. Hayward Scholarship (Honorary) is awarded to a student who is an active or retired military service person, spouse, or family member who demonstrates honor, courage, and commitment.

• The Dr. James Spaniolo Scholarship (Honorary) is awarded to a first-generation student who was the first person in their family to attend college and desires to support other first-generation college students in their pursuit of academic excellence. 

• The Dr. Kenneth Craycraft Scholarship (Honorary) is awarded to a student who demonstrates a strong record of volunteerism. 

• The Dr. Robert Peterkin Scholarship (Honorary) is awarded to a student with financial need who wants to transform their organization by advancing their education. 

• The Admiral Thomas B. Hayward Memorial Scholarship (Honorary) grants one ACE master’s degree graduate half off their tuition toward an ACE doctoral degree. You can learn more about the scholarship and apply here.  The annual deadline to apply is July 1st.

General Scholarships 

Open to New and Current Degree or Certificate-Seeking Students in Specific Programs and Majors  

Each term, ACE offers five (5) total $500 general scholarships to be awarded to eligible and enrolled students. These scholarship opportunities are inspired by ACE’s five major areas of focus and its core values of social responsibility.

• The Business General Scholarship opportunity is open to students who are or will be pursuing careers or experiences in business.
• The Diversity and Inclusion General Scholarship opportunity is open to students who are or will be pursuing careers or experiences involving diverse populations. 
• The Education General Scholarship opportunity is open to students who are or will be pursuing careers or experiences in education. 
• The Healthcare General Scholarship opportunity is open to students who are or will be pursuing careers or experiences in healthcare. 
• The Leadership General Scholarship opportunity is open to students who are or will be pursuing careers or experiences in leadership.

Non-Institutional Scholarships

ACE Foundation Scholarship

Open to all active students who have completed at least (three) 3 courses at ACE and have at least  (two) 2 courses remaining.

Each standard term, the ACE Scholarship Foundation (administered by TechForce Foundation) will award five (5) $1,000 scholarships to ACE students to apply to their ACE account.

To be eligible, students must:

1. Be in Good Standing at ACE.
2. Completed at least 3 courses at ACE and have at least 2 courses remaining.
3. Apply for the scholarship at TechForce.org. 

Award offers will be made on a rolling basis. Decisions are released on the second Friday of each month.

Indiana Center for Nursing Scholarship Program

Annually, during the month of May, ACE will award eligible Nursing program students a percentage of the total scholarship awards received by ACE for that year from the Indiana Center for Nursing Scholarship Program. Consideration is given to all applicants without regard to age, gender, race, creed, or national origin.

Eligible students must meet the following criteria:

1. Indiana resident. 
2. Enrolled as a Full-time undergraduate or full-time/part-time graduate student in an ACE Nursing program. 
3. GPA of 3.0 or above. 
4. Financial need is considered. 
5. Demonstrates a commitment to work in nursing in the state of Indiana upon graduation.

Awards are applied to tuition only and are disbursed pro rata per term for the remainder of the recipient’s program until the award amount has been exhausted.

ACE Grants 

BSN to MSN New Student Grant 

Open to New Students in the BSN to MSN program* 

Available to students who are new applicants to the BSN to MSN program. The New Student Nursing Program Grant of $135 per credit will be applied to tuition pro-rata per term.  

You must claim your BSN to MSN New Student Grant before you begin the first term. Please contact an enrollment counselor at 1-800-280-0307 option 2 for more information, or to claim your grant. 

*RN to BSN applicants and students are not eligible for this grant. 

Continuing Education Grant 

Open to Returning Degree or Certificate-Seeking Students in All Programs and Majors* 

Available to students who have completed an ACE non-degree or degree program, the Continuing Education Grant allows students to return for an additional ACE non-degree or degree program and receive a five percent (5%) tuition reduction grant.

You must claim your Continuing Education Grant before you begin the first term in your next ACE program. Please contact an enrollment counselor at 1-800-280-0307 option 2 for more information, or to claim your grant. 

*RN to BSN applicants and students are not eligible for this grant.

Educator Grant

Open to New Degree-Seeking Students in Initial Teacher Educator Preparation Programs  

Available to students who are new applicants to the M.A. in Elementary Teaching, M.A. in Secondary Teaching, Transition to Teaching in Elementary Education Certificate, and Transition to Teaching in Secondary Education Certificate. 

An eligible student will qualify to receive a fifteen percent (15%) reduction on tuition, which will be applied on a pro-rated basis starting the first term of program enrollment.

Military Support Grant

The Military Support Grant will provide a five percent (5%) tuition reduction grant to eligible veterans and their spouses for ACE non-degree or degree programs. The grant shall be available to Military (active, retired, or veteran) and their spouses who meet admission requirements, provide evidence of eligibility, and successfully enroll in and remain continuously enrolled in an eligible American College of Education program. 

Partnership Grant

Open to Eligible Employees, Members or Graduates of ACE Partners in All Programs and Majors 

Available each term to employees, members, or graduates from various organizations or institutions, ACE has entered into an educational partnership. You must select your organization or institution to claim your grant during the admission application process. If your organization or institution is not currently listed, please contact an enrollment counselor at 1-800-280-0307 option 2 for more information on ACE Partners.

Notes 

• Unless specified above, both Scholarship and Grant awards are applied to tuition only and are disbursed pro rata per term. Students will be responsible for paying all fees, the remaining program tuition costs not covered by the grant or scholarship, and any additional costs associated with the program selected. Scholarship and Grant Awards have no cash value. Course retakes are excluded.  
• Should grant or scholarship recipients:  (a) fail to begin their program, (b) withdraw, or (c) be administratively withdrawn from American College Education, recipients may forfeit all future disbursements of an award regardless of whether they reenter or are readmitted to the program.