ACE Scholarships is a nonprofit organization providing need-based partial tuition scholarships to help lower-income families afford K-12 private school education across multiple states.
What are ACE Scholarships?
ACE Scholarships (Alliance for Choice in Education) advances educational freedom by connecting families with financial assistance for private schooling. The organization provides partial tuition scholarships based solely on financial need, helping families who couldn't otherwise afford private education access schools of their choice. Operating in Colorado, Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Kansas, and New Mexico, ACE has served thousands of students since its founding. Scholarships follow students throughout their K-12 journey as long as families continue to qualify financially.
Key Takeaways
- Need-based scholarships for K-12 private school tuition
- Standard awards: $3,000 for K-8, $4,000 for grades 9-12
- Scholarships are portable—they follow students between partner schools
- Over 90% of ACE Scholars graduate high school
- Available in CO, TX, AR, LA, MS, KS, and NM
How the Scholarships Work
ACE scholarships cover a portion of private school tuition with families and schools sharing the remaining cost. The typical arrangement: ACE covers one-third, the family pays one-third, and the partner school reduces tuition by one-third. This shared investment model stretches scholarship dollars while ensuring family commitment. Award amounts vary slightly by state—Louisiana offers approximately $4,200 for K-8 and $4,500 for high school. All awards are capped at actual tuition costs.
Eligibility Requirements
ACE bases eligibility solely on financial need. Specific income thresholds vary by state and family size, but generally target working-class and lower-middle-class families who can contribute something toward tuition but can't cover full private school costs. The organization prioritizes families for whom the scholarship makes the difference between private school being possible or impossible. No academic, religious, or behavioral requirements apply—just demonstrated financial need.
Partner Schools
ACE works with a network of partner schools that agree to accept ACE Scholars and provide the tuition reduction. In Dallas-Fort Worth alone, over 70 private schools participate. Scholarships are portable within this network—if your chosen school isn't the right fit, your child can transfer to another partner school without losing the scholarship. This flexibility protects families from being locked into a school that doesn't work while maintaining scholarship continuity.
Track Record
The outcomes speak clearly. ACE reports that over 90% of scholars graduate high school annually, and partner schools have a 98.9% graduation rate. ACE Scholars enroll in and graduate from college at rates comparable to students from predominantly high-income schools. For families seeking alternatives to underperforming public schools, these outcomes demonstrate that need-based scholarship programs can genuinely change educational trajectories.
The Bottom Line
ACE Scholarships represents private philanthropy filling educational access gaps that government programs don't reach. For families who qualify financially, these scholarships make private school genuinely attainable rather than aspirationally impossible. The application is worth pursuing if you live in a participating state and your local public schools aren't meeting your child's needs. Check eligibility on the ACE website and explore partner schools in your area before the application cycle closes.
