ACE Puente is Rio Salado College's scholarship program that assists at-risk high-school students with getting a head start on college. ACE stands for Achieving a College Education. ACE Puente participants are recruited in their sophomore year of high school. Students take hybrid and online college courses while in their junior and senior years, allowing them to graduate with up to 24 college credits.
While simultaneously attending Rio Salado College and high school, students in the program will have a mentor to monitor their progress. They will also become a member of a cohort, giving them an opportunity to socialize with their peers and be part of an eLearning community.
Program Advantages
- Gain up to 24 college credits
- Get a head start on college
- Save money on tuition
- Personalized attention
- Ability to transfer college credits to a university
- Achieve educational goals in a shorter time
- Tuition, fees and books are funded by the program
Who can participate?
To be eligible for the ACE Puente program, students must be high school sophomores who meet at least one of the following criteria:
- First generation to attend college
- Living in single parent home, foster care or temporary housing
- Economic hardship
- Underrepresented group
- Legacy-sibling or relative of an ACE participant
- Works 10-30 hours per week
- Teen parent
- Voluntarily discloses physical/mental disabilities
ACE Puente requires a minimum GPA of 2.5 for program participation.