How ACT scores still shape scholarships, placement and cost in Arizona

By Stacy Mantle
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As Arizona students move from their junior to senior year, the ACT remains a built-in milestone.

What’s changing is how families interpret its value.

While admissions policies have shifted, the outcomes tied to ACT scores have not. It's not just a one-time thing required by the state of Arizona to measure academic achievement.

According to Tina Gridiron, chief impact and learning officer at ACT Inc., one of the most overlooked strategies is also one of the simplest: take the test more than once.

“Students tend to perform better on subsequent attempts,” Gridiron said, noting that testing multiple times can meaningfully increase scores. “Students are usually more relaxed during the second or third time of taking the test, which can dramatically increase scores.”

That improvement matters — not just for admissions, but for what happens after a student enrolls.

The benefits of a high score

High ACT scores can translate into significant academic and financial advantages for students, often shaping both where they are admitted and how much they pay for college. Even as Arizona universities move toward test-optional admissions, standardized test scores continue to play a strategic role for students who choose to submit them.

At Arizona State University, officials note that ACT and SAT scores “may be submitted for course placement or as supplemental information,” underscoring their continued value beyond basic admission.

"Many universities offer automatic, merit-based scholarships tied directly to ACT scores and GPA, with top scorers sometimes earning full tuition or even full-ride packages," said Gridiron. "Mid-to-high scores can still secure thousands of dollars per year in renewable aid."

Strong scores also make students more competitive for selective, donor-funded and national scholarships, as well as admission into honors colleges, which provide benefits such as smaller class sizes, priority registration and enhanced research opportunities.

Academically, students with high scores can often place into advanced coursework, skip remedial or introductory classes and, in some cases, earn early college credit — saving both time and tuition costs.

These scores can also qualify students for dual enrollment or early college programs in high school, while prompting recruitment outreach and invitations to specialized academic or leadership programs.

Beyond college entry, high ACT performance can enhance overall financial aid packages, contribute to national academic recognition and help position students for stronger university experiences that lead to competitive internships and career pathways.

This is especially relevant for students outside traditional systems — including homeschool and Empowerment Scholarship Account participants — who may rely more heavily on standardized measures to demonstrate readiness.

“Taking the ACT more than once opens doors and puts students in the driver’s seat,” Gridiron said. “It gives students agency to make better choices for their life.”

From admission to affordability

Arizona has taken steps in recent years to address college readiness and cost through initiatives like co-requisite education — placing students into college-level courses with built-in support rather than routing them into non-credit remedial tracks.

Through its participation in the Complete College America co-requisite model, Arizona institutions have reduced reliance on traditional remediation. But placement still matters — and ACT scores can help students start at the right level from day one.

For families, that translates into fewer college semesters to complete their degree, lower tuition costs and faster progress toward a degree.

Despite Arizona requiring all juniors to take the ACT, public guidance from schools and counselors tends to focus on college readiness broadly — with far less emphasis on how scores can impact scholarships, placement and long-term costs.

However, Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne has emphasized the role of testing in driving student outcomes, arguing that “making it a high-stakes test will motivate them to study and pass the test.”

Retesting as a strategy — not a requirement

The ACT is a standardized, curriculum-based exam designed to measure college readiness across four core areas: English, math, reading and science, all presented in multiple-choice format.

The test takes 2 hours and 55 minutes without the optional writing section, or 3 hours and 35 minutes with the 40-minute essay, which evaluates writing skills. Each section is scored on a scale of 1 to 36, with a composite score calculated as the average of the four sections.

Students can take the ACT in either paper or online formats, depending on administration options.

The ACT is administered statewide during junior year, but experts say that initial score should be seen as a baseline — not a final outcome.

Retesting can be scheduled on national test dates, including upcoming Saturday administrations on June 13 and July 11.

Those weekend test dates come with an added advantage: students can opt into ACT’s Recruit Me program, which connects them with colleges based on their academic profile — increasing visibility and, in some cases, recruitment opportunities.

The cost for the ACT is $68, though fee waivers are available through school counselors for eligible students.

Where awareness still lags

Despite these benefits, awareness remains uneven.

Many families continue to associate the ACT solely with admissions — not realizing its role in scholarships, academic placement in college and program eligibility.

That gap is what state and national efforts are trying to close.

Arizona participates in the Arizona College Application Campaign, which encourages seniors to complete college applications and better understand the steps — including testing — that influence access and affordability.

"AzCAC is designed to encourage schools to help graduating seniors navigate the admissions process and provide students the opportunity to complete at least one college application during the school year," according to their website. "AzCAC can open the door for students by encouraging them to take significant steps toward college in their senior year and ultimately ensure that every student has a chance to reach their potential and bring Arizona closer to 60% postsecondary attainment by 2030."

Still, experts say more targeted messaging is needed.

“It gives students agency to make better choices for their life,” Gridiron said. “It puts students in the driver’s seat.”

What families should know

With summer test dates approaching, the decision to retest is becoming less about meeting a requirement and more about maximizing opportunity.

For Arizona students, the ACT is not a one-time event. It is a tool — one that, when used strategically, can influence not just where a student is admitted, but how much they pay for college and how quickly they finish their degree.

And, as Gridiron noted, the goal is not perfection. It’s progress.

Editor’s note: A grant from the Arizona Local News Foundation made this story possible. The foundation awarded 15 newsrooms to pay for solutions-focused education reporters for two years. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.

Stacy Mantle
Education Solutions Reporter

smantle@iniusa.org

Meet Stacy
Stacy Mantle is joining the team at Independent Newsmedia, Inc. as an Education Solutions journalist, thanks to a grant from the Arizona Community Collaborative. She has a long history in education that ranges from teaching junior high and middle school to developing curriculum and standards-based assessments.

Community: A longtime advocate for animal welfare, Stacy is deeply involved in rescue efforts and volunteers with several nonprofit organizations.

Random Fact: Once upon a time, she shared her home with a pet coyote and two wolf hybrids. The experiences were wild enough to become the subject of her first book!

Education: She holds a BA in English with a minor in Political Science, a Post-baccalaureate in Secondary Education, and an MBA with a emphasis on Marketing.

Hobbies: In her spare time, Stacy writes fast-paced urban fantasy novels, crafts small-batch artisan soap, and is always up for hiking or off-roading through the Arizona wilderness with her husband of 23 years.