Equitable Excellence Scholarship

The Equitable Excellence Scholarship®, formerly known as the AXA Achievement Scholarship, is a prestigious merit-based award designed to support high school seniors who demonstrate ambition, resilience, and a commitment to making a positive impact in their communities. Administered by the Equitable Foundation in partnership with Scholarship America, this program offers both financial assistance and professional development opportunities to help students succeed in higher education.

🎓 Scholarship Overview

  • Award Amount: $5,000 per year for up to four years, totaling $20,000 per recipient.

  • Additional Benefits:

    • $500 gift card for a teacher of the recipient's choice, recognizing their impact on the student's academic journey.

    • Access to professional development workshops covering topics such as mental health, financial wellness, resume building, and career exploration.

    • Mentorship and networking opportunities with Equitable executives and peers.

  • Renewability: Awards are renewable annually, contingent upon satisfactory academic performance and continued enrollment in an accredited two- or four-year college or university.

✅ Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for the Equitable Excellence Scholarship®, applicants must:

  • Be current high school seniors residing in one of the 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, or Puerto Rico.

  • Plan to enroll full-time in an accredited two- or four-year college or university in the United States for the entire upcoming academic year.

  • Demonstrate ambition and self-drive to be a force for good in their communities by encouraging others to pursue higher education.

  • Have a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale.

  • Be willing to provide a release to publicize their identities and information about their plans or achievements along with photographs for use in program promotion/information.

  • Demonstrate financial need.

Please note that employees, associates, financial professionals, or immediate family members of employees, associates, or financial professionals of Equitable, Equitable Advisors, and all Equitable affiliated companies or Scholarship America, or their affiliates, subsidiaries, or advertising and promotion agencies, are not eligible to apply to this program. 

📝 Application Requirements

Applicants must submit the following materials:

  • Transcript: A current, complete transcript of grades (grade reports are not accepted). Transcripts must display student name, school name, grades, and credit hours for each course and term in which each course was taken.

  • Essay: A custom essay responding to the prompt:

    “Earning a college degree can enhance economic mobility and positively impact both you and those around you. As a college graduate, how do you plan to pay it forward and inspire others in your community to pursue their own college education?” 

  • Teacher Nomination: Identification of a teacher who has had a significant impact on the applicant's academic career

📅 Important Dates

  • Application Period: October 21, 2024 – January 13, 2025, 3:00 PM CT.

  • Notification of Awards: Early spring 2025.

  • Payment of Scholarships: Scholarship payments are processed by Scholarship America and are made in August. 

🔗 Application Portal

To apply or learn more about the Equitable Excellence Scholarship®, visit the official application portal: https://learnmore.scholarsapply.org/equitableexcellence/