"AIMS Scholarship" Under Review

I've expected this move by the State Board of Regents for several years. The state has been paying out much more than originally anticipated for this scholarship. For some reason, no one anticipated that students would continue retaking the AIMS test and/or retaking classes in order to qualify. Plus, scores on the ACT and SAT (which have been around for decades) are better predictors of college success. The good news is that the scholarship will continue "as is" for current seniors. The bad news is that the qualifications will be significantly tightened for current juniors. To qualify, class of 2012 students will need a 3.8 GPA and must exceed on all three portions of the AIMS test during the sophomore year. (No retakes) For class of 2013 students, SAT and/or ACT test scores will replace AIMS test scores. Here's a link to an article in the Arizona Republic discussing the proposed changes.