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The Evolve502 Scholarship application will open to all eligible JCPS Class of 2025 graduates in mid-August.

Applicants must be a Kentucky resident and complete one of the following requirements:

• Attended JCPS since at least the 9th grade* and graduate from a JCPS high school in 2025 or
• Earned a GED within 12 months of their original 2025 JCPS high school graduation date

Class of 2025 students who enroll in the military no later than 90 days after high school graduation may defer eligibility while in active duty.

*We encourage students who have not attended JCPS since 9th grade to submit an application. Once your application is received, a Student Success Coordinator will reach out to discuss available options with you, which may include submitting an appeal to the scholarship committee.

There is no GPA requirement for the Evolve502 scholarship. Students must meet JCPS graduation requirements and receive a high school diploma or GED to be eligible.

To receive the Evolve502 Scholarship students must do the following:

• Gain admission into an eligible institution
• Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) each year
• Enroll in at least nine credit hours at an eligible institution by the fall semester immediately after graduation
• Successfully complete nine credit hours each semester
• Maintain satisfactory academic progress while enrolled

Yes! Beginning with the Class of 2025 scholars, any eligible student with a household income of $47,000 or below will receive an Opportunity Grant of $1,100 per semester (up to $2,200 per year, fall and spring only) to assist in defraying the total cost of attendance or to help students pay for unexpected expenses which might occur while enrolled. This grant is applied even if tuition if fully covered by federal or state aid.

Visit www.evolve502.org/opportunity-grant for more information.

Yes, if you are an early graduate, you are eligible to receive the Evolve502 scholarship. If you wish to start classes in January, please email us at scholarships@evolve502.org. If you plan to enroll in classes in the fall, your Student Success Coordinator will be in touch regarding your next steps.

No. Students must enroll no later than the fall semester immediately following high school graduation.

Students are eligible to receive the scholarship for up to 60 undergraduate credit hours, six semesters, or the completion of an associate degree; whichever comes first. So, yes, within that six semesters a student could take a semester off. However, the student’s first semester must be the fall after high school graduation.

Students must complete the FAFSA each school year and pass at least 9 credit hours each semester to maintain your scholarship.

• If you have concerns about your ongoing status as a scholar, please contact your student success coordinator , who can connect you to academic resources at your college.

Please check the following resources for assistance.

KHEAA

• • KHEAA’s website offer several resources that provide college funding for students including the Kentucky Work Ready Scholarship
  • https://www.kheaa.com/website/kheaa/kheaaprograms?main=1
    

• Community Foundation of Louisville
  • CFL offers around 70 different scholarships without a residency requirement
  • https://www.cflouisville.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/2022-CFL-Scholarship-Opportunities.pdf
• Louisville Latino Educational Outreach project
  • LLEO advocates for and empowers Latino students and families in Louisville by providing access, knowledge base, and support to promote success in college, career, and life
  • https://www.lleoky.org/
    
• Immigrants rising
  • Immigrants Rising is a non-profit organization based in California that Empowers undocumented young people to achieve educational and career goals through personal, institutional and policy transformation. For a complete list of scholarships available to undocumented students visit the link below
  • https://immigrantsrising.org/resource/undergraduate-scholarships/</

Any Kentucky Community & Technical College , including Jefferson Community and Technical College , or Simmons College of Kentucky .

The Evolve502 Scholarship can be used to earn an associate degree, financial aid eligible workforce credential, or as a pathway to earn a four-year degree at any Kentucky Community & Technical College or Simmons College of Kentucky .

Scholarships may be used for six semesters, 60 undergraduate credit hours, or an associate degree, whichever comes first. Students are also eligible for up to six credit hours of developmental or ESL coursework.

You’ll need the following information:

• JCPS email address and password
• Legal name
• Date of birth
• Personal email
• Phone number
• Home address
• Race
• High school
• Expected graduation year

The Evolve502 scholarship application should take no more than five minutes to complete once you have all the information required. You should plan for about one hour to complete your FAFSA and about 30 minutes to complete your college application, which are also part of the application process.

• Contact the student success coordinator assigned to your school or your high school counselor if you have questions

Once your application is submitted, one of our student success coordinators will reach out to discuss the required next steps outlined below.

Apply for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

• Complete your 2025-2026 FAFSA form at https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa .
• Make sure you complete the correct form for the year your plan to enroll in college. Example: Class of 2025 students will complete the 2025-2026 FAFSA when it is available.
• Visit Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority for a general overview and video tutorials for completing the FAFSA form
• Need help? Contact the Student Success Coordinator assigned to your high school and you will be connected to resources to help you and your family complete the FAFSA

Complete your high school or GED requirements

• Make sure you know how to access your transcript through Parchment as you will need your transcript when applying to colleges

Enroll at any Kentucky Community & Technical College or Simmons College of Kentucky

• Explore college options at  Kentucky Community and Technical College System
• Learn about admissions requirements and apply to Jefferson Community and Technical College
• Learn about admissions requirements and apply to Simmons College of Kentucky

To view FAFSA student eligibility criteria and requirements, visit https://studentaid.gov/understand-aid/eligibility/requirements . To view FAFSA eligibility for non-U.S. citizens, visit https://studentaid.gov/understand-aid/eligibility/requirements/non-us-citizens.

Evolve502 strongly recommends completing all your required items as soon as possible to allow your application to be processed in a timely manner so you can begin enrollment in classes.

We recommend students follow this timeline to ensure their application is processed in a timely :

• October: Complete Evolve502 Scholarship application
• December: Have 2025-2026 FAFSA submitted and completed
• January: Apply to an eligible college
• March-May: Complete orientation at your chosen college as part of the enrollment process
• May-June: Successfully graduate from high school
• June: Scholarship award notification

In June, once your graduation from a JCPS school has been verified, Evolve502 will send via email a scholarship offer letter and a link to an online scholarship agreement. Once that agreement is submitted, we’ll let your selected college know you’re an Evolve502 Scholar.

If you do not complete your required items until after graduation, your approval will come on a rolling basis depending on when you submitted your items. Contact your student success coordinator at any time for an update on your status.

Beginning with Class of 2025 scholars, any eligible student with a household income of $47,000 or below will receive an Opportunity Grant of $1,100 per semester (up to $2,200 per year) to assist in defraying the total cost of attendance or to help students pay for unexpected expenses which might occur while enrolled.

Visit www.evolve502.org/opportunity-grant for more information.

Evolve502 and the University of Louisville have partnered to make a four-year degree possible for students who complete 48 credit hours as Evolve502 scholars and meet certain additional criteria.

The Evolve502 Scholarship at UofL is a last-dollar scholarship program that covers a student’s college tuition after federal and state aid has been applied.

Criteria to be considered for the 2+2 program include:

• Students must have earned 48 credit hours as an Evolve502 scholar at one of Evolve502’s partner institutions (Any KCTCS School or Simmons College of Kentucky)
• Students must be admitted to UofL in a degree-seeking program
• Students must be Pell and KEES eligible at time of transfer to UofL.
• Full-time enrollment is required for scholarship disbursement

No scholarship application is required and the scholarship can be combined with the KCTCS scholarship.

For more information about the 2+2 program, including renewal information for existing participants, please visit Evolve502 Scholarship — Office of Adult & Transfer Services.