College & Career Training in Alaska

Resources for the Fall Semester

Navigating your path to postsecondary education can be confusing and challenging under ordinary circumstances. Many can agree that nothing about our current circumstances is ordinary. There have been many new challenges and changes to our daily life and routines, as well as changes to our plans. While things remain uncertain, we also want you to know that your postsecondary goals can still become a reality, it might just mean taking a new path to get there!

Over the last few months of the COVID-19 pandemic, ACPE has made many responsive changes to how we deliver resources and provide guidance to students and families. As you look ahead to this Fall and determine your plans, we thought it would be a good time to recap some of these important changes and updates.

• Alaska Performance Scholarship
  • Test score requirement waived for the graduating high school Class of 2020.
  • Credit hour requirement for continuing eligibility waived for APS recipients in attendance from March 11, 2020 through July 16, 2020.
  • For general information about the Alaska Performance Scholarship, please visit www.aps.alaska.gov.
  • To determine if you are eligible to receive the APS or the status of your continuing eligibility, please create or login to you Alaska Student Aid Portal (ASAP) account here.
• Loan Forbearance Option
  • ACPE is offering economic hardship forbearance to our customers with Alaska state education loans. This forbearance postpones payments for three months, with an option to extend if needed.
  • The State of Alaska allocated CARES Act funds so that ACPE can offer the equivalent of a 0% interest rate to qualifying borrowers during their forbearance period.
    • These funds are limited and will be granted on a first-come, first-served basis.
  • Borrowers experiencing an economic hardship can use this form to request a forbearance of a repayment obligation and the CARES Act interest relief.
• Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
  • Filing your FAFSA every year is a critically important step in determining the funds you may be eligible to receive to help pay for your postsecondary education.
  • The sooner the better! If you haven’t submitted your FAFSA yet and plan to attend school this fall, we strongly encourage you to prioritize this step and complete the FAFSA as soon as you possibly can.
  • If you need assistance in completing the FAFSA, reach out to ACPE’s Success Center staff who can walk you through this process. Even though our offices are closed to the public, we are here to support you in the process over the phone or by email. Email acpesuccesscenter@alaska.gov or call (800) 441-2962, Option 4.