CTY Scholars

The CTY Scholars application for the 2024-2025 academic year is now open.

The CTY Scholars Program is a four-year academic advising and college counseling program designed to close the opportunity gap among our nation’s brightest students. Students are admitted to the program in 8th grade, with the majority coming from historically underrepresented groups in higher education, and being the first in their family to graduate from college. CTY Scholars receive the guidance of a dedicated academic advisor, access to one CTY course, and wrap-around services, and they complete the program ready to be admitted to and succeed at selective colleges and universities throughout the United States.

CTY Scholars is a grant-funded program that currently supports students in the United States, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico only.

CTY Scholars core program elements include:

Personalized academic advising in grades 9 to 12 (virtual)
Group college counseling workshops (virtual)
Annual leadership conference in Baltimore, MD (in-person)
One-on-One SAT/ACT preparation (virtual)
Scholarship for one CTY in-person program or online course
Subscription to a college and career readiness platform

Students in the CTY Scholars Program are expected to meet the following expectations throughout high school:

Meet (virtually) with their educational advisor
Earn high grades (A's and B's)
Challenge themselves with rigorous coursework
Participate in extracurricular activities
Effectively and consistently respond to communication from their advisor

To be eligible for the CTY Scholars Program, students must:

Meet CTY testing and eligibility requirements (applications will not be considered unless the applicant is CTY-eligible)
Be in the 8th grade
Be a high-achieving, intellectually curious student who wants to attend college
Have a combined family income of $75,000 or less*

*Family size and cost of living are considered.

Students are evaluated for the program based on the following:

Completed application (Use this link to complete your application)
End-of-year 7th-grade transcript
Most recent 8th-grade report card
Student and parent/guardian short answer questions
Income eligibility
Student and parent/guardian interviews
Two recommendations (Email this link to your recommenders):
- One teacher recommendation
- One school counselor (or additional teacher) recommendation

Please review the process for submitting your 2023 tax documents:

Email required documents to [email protected] with “CTY Scholars Application, Student ID XXXXXXX” in the subject. Do not send these documents to the CTY Scholars email address.

2023 Complete Federal Tax Returns
2023 All W-2/1099 Forms
2023 Form 482 (Puerto Rican Residents)
2023 Documentation of Nontaxable Income*
Explanation of any significant income changes (if applicable)

*Examples of nontaxable income include Social Security income, child support, etc.

Note: Families who have not filed their 2023 taxes or were not required to do so should provide a written explanation. The financial aid office will contact you regarding the next steps.

Documents will be processed within 7-10 business days.