The NCWIT Aspirations in Computing (AiC) High School Award honors 9th - 12th grade students for their computing-related achievements and interests, and encourages them to pursue their passions. Award recipients are selected based on their aptitude and aspirations in technology and computing, as demonstrated by their computing experience, computing-related activities, leadership experience, persistence, and future plans. Since 2007, more than 25,000 students have received an AiC Award.
The multi-tiered award structure includes Winner, Honorable Mention, and Rising Star designations at National and Regional Affiliate levels, serving all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, all U.S. overseas military bases, and Canada. Regional Affiliate Award programs are hosted in 79 locations nationwide.
The NCWIT AiC High School Award is sponsored by Apple, Bank of America, Jane Street, and Microsoft.
Students in grades 9 through 12 involved in technology are welcome to apply. Applicants who meet the eligibility requirements outlined below will be considered for both the National and Regional Affiliate Awards:
They are 13 years of age or older at the time of creating an aspirations.org account.
They receive parent/guardian approval by the approval deadline OR are 18 years of age or older at the time of completion of their AiC Community membership form.
They attend a school in the U.S., Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, or on a U.S. overseas military base.
They are not an NCWIT employee and have no immediate family relationship with employees, extended staff, contractors, or board members of NCWIT (including spouses, siblings, children, grandchildren, and persons residing in the same household).
Note that applicants under the age of 18 at the time of application submission will require parent or guardian approval.
In addition to the aforementioned eligibility requirements, to be considered for a National Award (National Winner or National Honorable Mention designations), the applicant must meet the additional criteria:
They have a U.S. Tax Identification or Social Security Number.
Restrictions
Applicants may reapply each year; however, National Award Winners are not eligible to win again.
Regional Affiliate Award programs allow repeat recipients, at their own discretion.
Prizes by Award Designation
*At the regional affiliate's discretion
Application Details
Getting Started
Applicants must be members of the Aspirations in Computing (AiC) Community. Join the AiC Community today. If you have previously won an AiC award, then you are already an AiC Community member.
Then, students can apply online, beginning September 1, 2025. To be considered for the 2025-26 AiC High School Award, applicants must submit a completed application by the final deadline at 8:00 p.m. ET on October 28, 2025.
The application includes several short essays and multiple-choice sections:
Additional Guides
Definition of Award Designations
Every applicant is eligible to receive awards at both the National and Regional Affiliate tiers. The award levels include:
National Awards
Winner: Highest-achieving students selected to represent the rich diversity of applicants. Prior National Award Winners may not win this award more than once.
Honorable Mention: High-achieving students selected to represent the rich diversity of applicants.
National selections are subject to an additional internal rubric that evaluates applicants based on their demonstrated tenacity, uniqueness of story, and technical achievements.
Regional Affiliate Awards
Winner: Students who have significantly demonstrated interest and aptitude for computing.
Honorable Mention: Students who have demonstrated interest and aptitude for computing.
Rising Star: Students who may be starting out in their pursuit and study of computing. Rising Stars embody the idea of AiC and are encouraged to continue their exploration of the field.
Additional Rules
Winners of the National Award are required to submit additional paperwork, including a notarized travel waiver and tax ID information. Failure by National Award Winners and/or their parent(s) or guardian(s) to return required paperwork or book travel within the allotted time may result in forfeiture of all awards hereunder. To the extent required by law, Bank of America will report the value of the gift/reward/travel expenses to the IRS on Form 1099.
NCWIT may require additional hard-copy, notarized paperwork, at its discretion.
Applications are reviewed anonymously by technology academics and industry professionals. Selection of the National Award Winners is made by NCWIT and Bank of America representatives at their sole discretion; selection of the Regional Affiliate Award recipients is made by each Affiliate at their sole discretion.
View the step-by-step guide to joining the AiC Community here. Applicants must first join the AiC Community before applying for an AiC Award.
Have your educator follow the Endorsement Step-by-Step Guide to complete their endorsement. An endorsement is not required; however, it is strongly recommended if you wish to be considered for a national award designation.
For frequently asked questions about applying, approvals, and endorsements, please visit the FAQ page.
