Opportunity Grants

International ACAC is proud to offer Opportunity Grants, supporting the global efforts of members guiding students to higher education.

Opportunity Grants embody the organization's mission and principles by ensuring transparency, aligning with ethical standards, and emphasizing a student-centered approach through each funded project. The grants reinforce the mission to facilitate global access to higher education while promoting standards that foster ethical and social responsibility.

The application for a 2026 Opportunity Grant will be available in early 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is eligible for an Opportunity Grant?

Opportunity Grants are a member benefit. Therefore an active International ACAC membership in your name is required to apply. Applicants must be members in good standing of International ACAC for at least one year.

Opportunity Grants may be awarded to the following membership categories: secondary, post-secondary, individual, and community based organization.

Although multiple applications may be submitted, members are limited to only one grant award per calendar year.

Grants may be awarded to only one member per institution/organization per calendar year.

What types of projects are hosted by Opportunity Grant recipients?

Since 2018, Opportunity Grant recipients have hosted various activities to enhance educational opportunities and professional development. These activities can be broadly categorized as follows:

Educator and Counselor Training: Focused on improving the abilities of educators and counselors to support students in university admissions and career planning. These sessions aimed to equip professionals with the latest tools, knowledge, and strategies for effective guidance.

Application and Admission Guidance: Programs specifically designed to aid students in understanding the college application process, including how to effectively prepare and apply for admission to universities both domestically and internationally.

Resource Provision for Underserved Students: Initiatives aimed at providing essential resources to underprivileged and displaced students to facilitate their access to higher education. This included technological tools for online learning, educational materials for test preparation, and financial assistance for accessing higher education opportunities.

Technology and Material Acquisition: Projects involved purchasing computers, internet routers, and other educational materials to support online learning and application processes. These purchases aimed to remove educational barriers for students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Information Sessions and Fairs: Activities designed to bring information about higher education opportunities to students, teachers, and counselors through university fairs, information sessions, and webinars. This also included efforts to increase awareness about the availability of international education resources.

Applicants who wish to design a new program or initiative are encouraged to apply; applications containing personal professional development and/or revenue-generating requests will not be reviewed.

What funding is available?

Applicants may request $250 to $3000 USD to support their project. The Committee will review the requests and allocate compensation based on availability. Typically, four to six projects are rewarded each year. Members are encouraged to supplement their projects with additional external funding.

Proposed Opportunity Grant applications must align with International ACAC’s Mission, which excludes direct funding of student expenses (e.g., tuition, travel, fees, supplies).

How do I come up with an idea for a grant? Then how do I make it stand out?

Firstly, identify an area of improvement or a gap in your community that you could solve with an event, activity, education, or even technology. Second, brainstorm and work to come up with a solution! Ensuring that your application aligns with International ACAC’s mission is essential. Be sure to highlight the project’s innovative aspects, its anticipated impact on underserved students, or how it promotes inclusivity and sustainability.

If you want some inspiration, you can find examples of previous Opportunity Grants below.

How are applications reviewed?

The selection committee consists of a member from each of the following committees:

Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
Global Affairs
Professional Development
Support, Access, & Success
Leadership Team

The potential positive impact and number of individuals served by the grant will be taken into account, with priority given to applicants who meet the following criteria:

Completeness: Have all sections been answered thoughtfully?
Clarity of Goals & Plan: Is there a strong connection between the proposed activity and the desired outcome?
Budget Feasibility: Are costs reasonable and well-justified?
Impact: Does the project support underserved communities?
Alignment with International ACAC’s Mission: Does the initiative reflect our commitment to access and inclusion?
Diversity & Inclusion: Does the project promote equity?
Sustainability: Will the initiative have a long-term impact?
Use of Equipment (if applicable): Is there a clear plan for long-term use of materials?

We encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds and experience levels. You do not need to be an expert grant writer—just provide clear, honest, and detailed responses about your project.

What is required after receiving the grant and utilising the funding?

Following selection as an Opportunity Grant recipient (grantee), the grantee must agree to:

Use the grant within the calendar year in which it was received.
Submit a detailed description of the use of the awarded funds and the outcomes achieved within one month following the event or program.
Submit a detailed expense report and receipts of all expenses incurred using the International ACAC Expense Report Form within one month following the event or program. Reimbursement will be issued once the Opportunity Grants Committee has received these items.
Submit photos and a written report summarizing the overall experience within one month following the event or program. This information will then be shared with the International ACAC membership on the website, through member communications, and/or through International ACAC’s social media account. Reimbursement will not be issued until the Opportunity Grants Committee has received these items.
Have a plan for any electronic equipment received as part of the grant following the event or program.

Previous Opportunity Grant Recipients

Read more about previous Opportunity Grants by clicking on each year below.

2025 Opportunity Grant Recipients 2024 Opportunity Grant Recipients 2023 Opportunity Grant Recipients 2022 Opportunity Grant Recipients 2021 Opportunity Grant Recipients 2020 Opportunity Grant Recipients 2019 Opportunity Grant Recipients

2025 Opportunity Grant Recipients

The selection committee believes that the motivation, reach and spirit of these programs serve as role models within our profession. Thank you to all who applied. Recipients below are listed in alphabetical order by last name.

Congratulations to our 2025 Opportunity Grant recipients!

Reachal Ainembabazi - Butemba High School
Purchasing computers for students of Kyankwanzi to aid online application.

Arsène Mabadjam Katawa - EDULCOD-Togo
Mobile Counseling Lab with computers.

Emanual Kemba - Busolwe Students' Centre
Helping refugee students make online university admissions applications in Uganda.

Dr. Peter Ogudoro - Nigerian Teachers Community
Hosted the Counsellors Connect Conference in Nigeria.

Godfrey Omollo - South Sudan University Link
Assisted students affected by civil wars to apply for university admissions.

Lawrencia Oteng - International Community School of Ghana
Delivered a workshop equipping students with university application skills.

Azamat Tulepbergenov - Bilim-Innovation International Community Fund
Professional Exchange Forum for university counselors in Kazakhstan.

2024 Opportunity Grant Recipients

Congratulations to our 2024 Opportunity Grant recipients!

Brenda Gladys Imuroit - Re-build Scholars
Created a technology community center for local students to apply to university.

Emmanuel Kemba - Busolwe Students' Centre
Helping under-resourced students make online university applications.

Misco Mungai - HALI Access Network
Mental Health Workshop at the 2024 HALI Indaba.

Emmanuel Ngolefac - Government Bilingual High School, Bafoussam Rural
Hosted a Counselor Gathering in Cameroon.

2023 Opportunity Grant Recipients

The selection committee believes that the motivation, reach and spirit of these programs serve as role models within our profession. Thank you to all who applied.

Congratulations to our 2023 Opportunity Grant recipients!

Reachal Ainembabazi - Butemba High School
Helped under-resourced students of Kyankwanzi District of Uganda with the online university application process by hosting a workshop and providing internet access.

Baman Kumar Ghimire - Motherland Secondary School
Led workshops in two Nepalese cities for teachers and students about higher education opportunities abroad.

Arnold Habyarimana - Bridge for Future Academy
Organized admissions counseling workshops for high school counselors in Eastern DRC.

Joan Liu - Second Chance
Support for the Second Chance program, which assists HALI students with U.S. college admissions after the April 1 deadline.

Godfrey Omollo - South Sudan University Link
Purchased solar panels, laptops and internet routers to aid in the online university application process.

The selection committee also awarded 25 membership dues waivers for the 2023 year.

2022 Opportunity Grant Recipients

The selection committee believes that the motivation, reach and spirit of these programs serve as role models within our profession. Thank you to all who applied.

Congratulations to our 2022 Opportunity Grant recipients!

James Akaba - Open Dreams, Cameroon
Accommodate more internally displaced students in our college and career counseling Open Dreams Summer Academy in Cameroon.

Yaw Fosu-Korankye - International Community School of Ghana
Provide training to youth on how to properly apply for university.

Baman Kumar Ghimire - Motherland Secondary School
Give presentations about studying abroad to HALI students in Nepal.

Aileen Lee - Affiliated High School of Peking University
Access funds to help refugees in Jordan access higher education.

Solomon Kayiwa Mugambe - Ushindi Education Initiative
Enable support to HALI students and school counselors to access resources relevant for international education.

Tenzin Wosel - Tibetan Children's Village School
To support high school students at Tibetan Children's Village School Golpalpur, India to access higher education in US, India and around the world.

The selection committee also awarded 23 membership dues waivers for the 2022 year.

2021 Opportunity Grant Recipients

The selection committee believes that the motivation, reach and spirit of these programs serve as role models within our profession. Thank you to all who applied.

Congratulations to our 2021 Opportunity Grant recipients!

Gantumur Bat-Erdene - Educational Advising Resource Center
Provide college and career counseling for orphanage children in Mongolia.

Aileen Lee - Affiliated High School of Peking University
Fund the purchase of Tawjihi test preparation materials for refugee students in Jordan.

Emmanuel Moses Kemba - Busolwe Students' Centre
Purchase computers and internet routers to help underprivileged students attend online classes and complete online university applications in Uganda.

The selection committee also awarded 18 membership dues waivers for the 2021 year.

2020 Opportunity Grant Recipients

The selection committee believes that the motivation, reach and spirit of these programs serve as role models within our profession. Thank you to all who applied.

Congratulations to our 2020 Opportunity Grant recipients!

Susana Aguilar de Urruela - APDE Schools in Guatemala
Funding to support lunches for university representatives attending a college fair.

Shannon Bracken - Ontario Tech University in Canada
Hosting a joint Canadian higher education event for counselors in Doha.

Neeraj Mandhana - The Next Genius Foundation in India
Funding virtual webinar series for college counselors in India.

The selection committee also awarded 15 membership dues waivers for the 2020 year.

2019 Opportunity Grant Recipients

The selection committee believes that the motivation, reach and spirit of these programs serve as role models within our profession. Thank you to all who applied.

Congratulations to our 2019 Round II Opportunity Grant recipients!

Gantumur Bat-Erdene (Mongolia): Program providing bus services to bring students from under-resourced schools to a university fair held in Mongolia.

Mabadjam Katawa (Togo): Professional development workshops and training for counselors, teachers, and administrators in five regions of Togo.

Berta Liao (Taiwan): Program providing bus services to bring students from under-resourced schools to a university fair held in Taiwan.

Solomon Kayiwa Mugambe (Uganda): Program to support high achieving low-income students in Uganda with the university application process.

Rebecca Zeigler Mano (Zimbabwe): Purchase of Kindles to load with resources for test prep, deeper reading, and application assistance for students in rural areas of Zimbabwe, allowing students to study at night without a power source for extended periods of time.

Congratulations to our 2019 Round I Opportunity Grant recipients!

James Akaba (Cameroon): Professional development workshops for counselors in three cities of Cameroon (Summary 1, Summary 2).

Ray Marx (Ecuador): Professional development training in Quito for counselors in local area high schools.

Hilarion Vegba (Benin): Program bringing global university admission information to students, teachers and administrators in six regions of Benin.

The selection committee also awarded 7 membership dues waivers for the 2019 year.

Questions? Please contact OppGrants@InternationalACAC.org.

Opportunity Grants

Frequently Asked Questions

Previous Opportunity Grant Recipients

2025 Opportunity Grant Recipients

2024 Opportunity Grant Recipients

2023 Opportunity Grant Recipients

2022 Opportunity Grant Recipients

2021 Opportunity Grant Recipients

2020 Opportunity Grant Recipients

2019 Opportunity Grant Recipients

International Association for College Admission Counseling

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