5 Strong Scholarship — Atlanta
Offered by 5 Strong Scholarship Foundation
About this scholarship
The 5 Strong Scholarship — Atlanta connects promising metro-Atlanta high school seniors with full-tuition awards at participating Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Scholars enter college in teams of five and receive mandatory college-readiness preparation before enrollment, followed by structured coaching and peer support through graduation. Because the award covers tuition but does not uniformly cover housing and meals, it is classified as partial funding under this site’s coverage rules; the dollar value depends on the matched HBCU. Applicants must live in Fulton County or a surrounding Atlanta-area county, be graduating seniors, hold at least a 3.0 GPA, and show leadership potential in the classroom and on campus. The general testing floor is a 19 ACT or 990 combined SAT, although individual partner colleges publish different thresholds and some are test-optional. Applicants must genuinely intend to attend at least one participating HBCU, attend all mandatory in-person bimonthly preparation sessions in Atlanta, and participate in the required college visit. The direct application form is open for the 2027 entering cohort through December 31, 2026. Selection considers academic readiness, resilience, commitment, leadership potential, and fit with the cohort model.
Eligibility
- Reside in the Atlanta metropolitan area, including Fulton County or a surrounding county
- Be a current-year graduating high school senior
- Have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0, subject to higher partner-school thresholds
- Meet the applicable partner-school test requirement; the general benchmark is 19 ACT or 990 SAT
- Demonstrate potential to lead in the classroom and on campus
- Plan to attend at least one participating HBCU
- Attend every mandatory bimonthly college-preparation session in Atlanta
- Be available for the required HBCU college visit