The basic state scholarship is the Academic Elite. To be considered, a high school student must have a mix of a minimum 3.8 grade point average, either a 1400 on the SAT or 32 on the ACT exam. Proof of exceptional citizenship and letters of recommendation are not necessary, but a good idea. One thing that’s absolutely required is to complete an essay of 300-500 words. If awarded, the students gets a laptop computer, $8,500 annually and on-campus housing paid for.

Not every student needs to go to a four-year program, and Alabama has set up a program for those who intend to do a community school. Like the Elite, the Alabama Two-Year Scholarship is based on merit, not need, but the award varies depending on school costs involved.

Regionally, there is also the Central Alabama Community Foundation, which is open to students of Montgomery, Lowndes and Elmore Counties. Each year, the Foundation hands out a total of $50,000 to students it deems deserving of some extra financial assistance.

For minority students there is the Earl P. Andrews Scholarship. Here the minimum GPA is a 3.5 and a minimum ACT score of 23 as well as the completion of an original essay about their plans after graduating. The award ranges from $500 to $1,000 a year. For those who dropped out of college but desire to go back, the Jay Murphy Scholarship is also out there. The requirements here include a minimum 2.5 average and willingness to go on for a teaching degree. The Murphy will award anywhere from $200 to $1,000.

As Alabama does also call itself the Heart of Dixie, it has a scholarship for anyone who can prove his or her southern heritage, the Lola B. Curry Scholarship. Sponsored by the United Daughters of the Confederacy, besides a transcript of your grades and a minimum 3.0 grade point average, you must prove direct lineage to an ancestor who fought for the Confederacy during the “war between the States.” It will contribute $800 to $1,000 towards an Alabama-based college.

If participating in the arts means more than whistling Dixie, the state also has a scholarship for those dreaming of careers in the creative fields. The Alabaman Junior and Community Performing Arts Scholarship is open to any student of the creative arts and is awarded through competition. While the amount is variable, it is renewable.