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The application program will be available again in January. Please return then to view the updated Eligibility and Awards for the 2025-26 academic year!

 

If you are an applicant who would like to discover more scholarship opportunities you might qualify for, please continue to the Scholarship America Hub and sign up!

Athene USA Game Changer Scholars Program
Application status: Closed

The Athene Charitable Foundation has established a scholarship program designed to ensure students with demonstrated financial need have the option to pursue their most important life goals.

This program is administered by Scholarship America®, the nation’s largest designer and manager of scholarships and other education support programs for corporations, foundations, associations, and individuals. Eligibility for individual programs is determined at the sole discretion of the sponsor and eligible applications are reviewed by Scholarship America’s evaluation team.

Applicants to the Athene USA Game Changer Scholars Program must meet all the following criteria:

  • Be a U.S. citizen and Iowa resident
  • Be a high school senior or graduate or current college undergraduate
  • Plan to enroll in full-time undergraduate study at an accredited two- or four-year college, university located in the state of Iowa for the entire upcoming academic year
  • Have a minimum grade point average of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale or its equivalent

Children of Athene employees are not eligible to apply. 

Note: Upon creating your account an email will be sent to your email address to create your password.  Please check your “junk mail” for email from Scholarship America.

Awards

Awards will be $2,000 in the initial year. The final number of awards and total distribution will be determined at a later date, prior to selection of recipients.

Each year of eligible renewal, the award will increase by $1,000.

Awards are renewable up to three years or until a bachelor’s degree is earned, whichever occurs first. Renewal is contingent upon satisfactory academic performance maintaining a cumulative grade point average of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale and continued full-time enrollment at an Iowa school or college/university.

Awards are for undergraduate study only.

Notification

All applicants will be notified in late May.

Payment of Scholarships

Scholarship America processes scholarship payments on behalf of Athene Charitable Foundation. Payment is made in August directed to the recipient’s college or university.

Selection of Recipients

Scholarship recipients are selected based on:

  • Academic performance
  • Demonstrated leadership and participation in school and community activities
  • Work experience
  • A statement of educational and career goals and objectives
  • Unusual personal or family circumstances
  • An online recommendation

Financial need will be considered. The recipient must demonstrate need.

Selection of recipients is made by Scholarship America. In no instance does any officer or employee of Athene Charitable Foundation play a part in the selection. Students may reapply to the program each year they meet eligibility requirements.

All applicants agree to accept the decision as final.

As part of your application, you must upload the following:

  • A current, complete transcript of grades. Grade reports are not accepted. Transcripts must display:
    • Student name
    • School name
    • Grades
    • Credit hours for each course and term in which each course was taken.

      NOTE: If you are providing SAT or ACT test scores, and those scores are not listed on your high school transcript, you will need to upload an official copy of those test scores separately. If you are uploading a college transcript, those scores are not required.

One online recommendation form must be submitted on your behalf no later than April 10, 2025 3:00 pm Central Time. Recommender cannot be related to the applicant. 

Your application is not complete unless all required materials are submitted electronically.

Athene Charitable Foundation has partnered with Scholarship America. Selecting the button below will redirect you to the Scholarship America Student Hub!

Please make sure to add studentsupport@scholarshipamerica.org as well as the program email address provided below in the footer as safe senders in your email contact list.