American Junior Golf Association ACE Grant

The AJGA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the overall growth and development of young men and women who aspire to earn college golf scholarships through competitive junior golf.

The American Junior Golf Association’s ACE Grant program provides top-flight golf opportunities to young men and women regardless of financial resources. The AJGA believes the opportunity to earn a college golf scholarship should not be limited to those who can afford to travel and play a national junior golf schedule. Therefore, the AJGA would like to offer financial assistance to those juniors who can compete at the national junior golf level, but are limited due to financial constraints.

To be considered for the ACE Grant, all candidates must meet the following criteria:

• Candidates must be between the ages of 12-18 and a current AJGA member.
• Candidates must clearly establish their need for financial assistance.
• Candidates must provide supporting documents in order to verify their financial standing.

All candidates who satisfy the above requirements are eligible to apply for the ACE Grant. The final selection of recipients is decided by the ACE Grant Committee. Each candidate can apply for the ACE Grant at any time during the course of the season. However, no applications will be accepted after August 1, 2008. Grants will be awarded to qualified applicants on a first-come, first-served basis.

Unfortunately, we are unable to accept international members into the program at this time. This decision is based on an evaluation that was conducted by the AJGA with the assistance of the National Association of Independent Schools.

The ACE Grant program is designed to provide financial assistance to those juniors who can compete at the national junior golf level, but are limited due to financial constraints.  Below is a list of average scores for AJGA tournaments.  If you feel your skills are not comparable to these averages, the ACE Grant Committee recommends you wait to apply to the ACE Grant program until your skills fall within these averages.

To learn more about how to gain entry into AJGA tournaments and the AJGA Performance Based Entry system, please click here.

• All ACE Grant funds are awarded on a rolling basis throughout the current season. The ACE Grant will be allocated in one amount that can be divided to cover the various expenses in each of the tournament levels (Qualifier, Medicus Preseason Junior Series, Junior All-Star, Open and Invitational).
• Acceptance into the ACE Grant program does not guarantee entry into any AJGA events. ACE Grant recipients will only gain entry into tournaments via the Performance Based Entry Process. Qualifying members can find their Performance Based Entry status in the player center at ajga.org.
• The ACE Grant will reimburse only costs associated with an AJGA tournament. Details regarding coverage of specific expenses (travel, lodging, etc.) will be outlined in the acceptance letter. A reimbursement check will be sent to the recipient within 40 days after the AJGA has received a reimbursement form with receipts. The AJGA will track the recipient’s account total and provide updates if the recipient inquires.
• To receive reimbursement up to the maximum amount allowed per event, original receipts must be provided to the AJGA for all expenses you would like reimbursed. No funds will be reimbursed without an original receipt. The receipt must be legible and clearly issued from a verifiable company.
• Private housing arrangements, if available, can be made through the respective AJGA Tournament Director assigned for each event. His or her contact name will be available in the tournament acceptance letter.
• The total number of grants will be determined by the total number of qualified candidates and availability of funds. Grants will be awarded to qualified applicants on a first-come, first-served basis.
• If your application is declined and you do not apply for entry into any AJGA events, you may request a full refund of your AJGA Membership fee.
• Credit card debt will not be considered in the AJGA’s evaluation of a candidate’s financial situation, but costs related to healthcare, tuition and elderly care will be taken into consideration.

While the AJGA is very proud to be able to provide this opportunity to our membership, there are specific expenses the ACE Grant will and will not cover. In addition, there are reimbursement limits the AJGA feels are appropriate for each event. Please refer to the details outlined below.

Expenses covered by the ACE Grant

• Costs incurred when traveling to and from an AJGA event. This may include gas, airfare (member only), airport transportation,
  rental cars, and cabs.
• Food and beverage costs (member only) incurred while attending an AJGA event. This may include dinner at the host hotel and golf course.
• Housing costs incurred while attending an AJGA event. The AJGA strongly encourages all families to utilize private housing, which will allow each recipient to maximize the grant by reducing expenses.
• AJGA tournament entry fees, up to a maximum of six Open, Junior All-Star or Invitational events, three Qualifier events and one Medicus Preseason Junior Series event, but without exceeding the maximum ACE Grant value.
• AJGA membership will be reimbursed up to $150 if the recipient applies to at least one AJGA event. Juniors and seniors accepted into the ACE Grant program will be upgraded to the Junior Plus Student membership.

Expenses NOT covered by the ACE Grant

• The AJGA will not reimburse airfare for parents/guardians to and from an AJGA event.
• The AJGA will not reimburse airfare to attend a Qualifier, regardless of the distance or fare price.
• The AJGA will not reimburse travel costs incurred at an event when the AJGA is providing transportation (i.e. shuttles, staff rides, vouchers, etc.).
• The AJGA will not reimburse costs for alcoholic beverages.
• The AJGA will not reimburse hotel room rates that exceed the “room rate” of the host hotel. The AJGA highly encourages
  all members to utilize private housing at every event.
• The AJGA will not reimburse any expenses, including entry fees, if a member withdraws from an event after the refund deadline but before play. Once a tournament has begun, a member will be reimbursed (up to the maximum), if the withdrawal is considered a “justified withdrawal.” Any withdrawal other than a “justified withdrawal” will not be reimbursed by the AJGA and a review of his or her future playing status will be conducted. Contact the Player Services Department for definitions of “justified withdrawal” and “unjustified withdrawal.”
• The AJGA will not reimburse any expenses incurred while attending an event, including entry fees, when the member “no shows".
• The AJGA will not reimburse any expenses, including entry fees and membership fees, if the member violates the AJGA Code of Conduct.
• The AJGA will not reimburse the AJGA membership fee unless a member has applied to at least one AJGA event.
• The AJGA will not reimburse incidental charges made through hotel room service or at the hotel gift shop. This also extends to miscellaneous charges for equipment or golf attire.
• The AJGA will not reimburse a receipt that includes costs incurred for people other than the member and his/her family who are attending the event. If it is not clearly marked on the receipt which costs are for the member, the reimbursement amount will be at the AJGA ACE Grant Committee’s discretion.

Reimbursement Levels
The following guidelines will apply when seeking reimbursement from the AJGA. The ACE Grant will reimburse up to a maximum of:

• $300 per Qualifier event (Includes $75 entry fee).
• $650 per Medicus Preseason Junior Series event (Includes $235 entry fee).
• $650 per Junior All-Star Series event (Includes $255 entry fee).
• $650 per Open event (Includes $255 entry fee).
• $650 per Invitational event (Includes $305 entry fee).
• $150 for AJGA membership.

When seeking reimbursement for attending an event, the AJGA will reimburse expenses up to the amounts listed above depending on the type of event. For example, if the recipient incurs costs of $950 to attend an Open event, the ACE Grant will only reimburse $650 for the actual Open event of $300 for the Qualifier.

• Complete the electronic application after you have applied for AJGA membership.
• Mail a copy of the parents' or guardians' 2008 federal tax return Form 1040 (signed by a CPA) and W-2 form(s). A copy of Form 4506-T from the federal government stating your current tax situation will also be acceptable if you do not file taxes. Please include member name and member ID.
• All application materials can be faxed to (678) 425-1659 or mailed to:
  
  ACE Grant
  American Junior Golf Association
  1980 Sports Club Drive
  Braselton, GA 30517
   
• Upon receipt of the application and necessary IRS documents, the candidate will receive a response via e-mail acknowledging the application has been received. An application will be considered only if the above directions are followed accurately and completely. Applications are reviewed by the ACE Grant Committee. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
• All candidates who complete the application process will receive a decision letter within three (3) weeks after receiving the e-mail stating the application has been received. It is the applicant's responsibility to verify that the application is complete if the decision letter is not received within three weeks.