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Maricopa · Pima · Cochise · Mohave and all AZ community colleges
Community college students are often the most aid-eligible and the least likely to apply for scholarships. This guide maps the funding available specifically for CC students — including the transfer scholarships that can make your 2+2 path more affordable than four years anywhere else.
Arizona has one of the largest community college systems in the country. Maricopa Community Colleges alone serve over 140,000 students. Yet the scholarship awareness gap at CC campuses is real — many students don't know about the $1,000–$5,000 institutional awards available through their own foundation, the federal Pell Grant they qualify for, or the transfer scholarships at ASU, UA, and NAU that specifically reward CC transfer students. The 2+2 pathway — two years at a CC then transfer to a university — is often the most financially efficient path to a bachelor's degree in Arizona.
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Things worth knowing
Your CC foundation scholarship is the easiest scholarship you'll never hear about
Every Maricopa college (Mesa, Phoenix, GCC, Scottsdale, etc.) has its own foundation with awards ranging from $500 to $5,000. These awards receive far fewer applications than external scholarships — because most students don't know they exist. Visit your campus foundation page or financial aid office.
AGEC (Arizona General Education Curriculum) completion triggers guaranteed transfer pathways
Completing AGEC at any AZ community college guarantees admission to ASU, UA, or NAU as a junior with your first 35 credits already satisfied. Schools also reserve specific merit-based transfer scholarships for AGEC completers. Ask your counselor if you're on the AGEC track.
Arizona Promise does not cover community college — check Pell and foundation awards before taking loans
Arizona Promise does not cover community college. It pays tuition and fees only at ASU, NAU or UA, for Pell-eligible Arizona high school graduates (2.50+ GPA) who start there as full-time freshmen the fall right after high school. At a community college, your Pell Grant and your college's foundation scholarships are the main ways to cover tuition, so file the FAFSA.
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