Signing Up with a State Voucher
Three states—Colorado, Illinois, and Tennessee—provide pre-printed vouchers distributed through the schools to cover the basic registration or special testing fee for the ACT® (No Writing) or ACT Plus Writing according to the rules described below for each state. Students submitting a state voucher as payment are responsible for all fees for optional services and for any additional fees (e.g., late registration).
Students using a state voucher as payment can register either online or by mail.
- If registering online, the student must enter the serial number printed in the top right corner of the voucher on the payment screen, then follow the instructions to "apply" the voucher to validate it. Finally, the student must click "Submit" to complete the registration.
- If registering by mail, the student must enter the serial number in Block W of the registration folder and return the completed and signed voucher with the completed registration folder.
- If requesting Special Testing, the student must return the completed and signed voucher with the completed Request for ACT Special Testing.
Colorado
In compliance with legislation passed in 2001, schools may apply to the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) for vouchers to allow certain grade 11 students to take the ACT (No Writing) at state expense on the April national test date instead of on the state in-school test date. By State Board of Education rule, the only students eligible for a voucher in 2009 are:
- Public school students attending an online high school who are not able to make arrangements directly with their own high school to take the ACT on the state-designated May makeup test date.
- Public school students unable to take the ACT on the state-designated test dates due to conflicts with legitimate instructional or curricular activities, as determined by CDE.
Students whose applications are approved by CDE will receive a state voucher, from their schools, to submit as payment of the basic fee with their registration for the April national test date. The voucher may not be used to register for any other test date.
Vouchers are valid only for approved students and may not be transferred to any others. Approved students who register with a state voucher and take the test on the April national test date will have their April national test date scores used for School Accountability Reports and may not take the test on either of the state test dates designated by the CDE.
Only schools may apply for vouchers; students may not apply directly to the state or to ACT. For more information, students should check with a high school counselor.
Illinois
Grade 12 Retake Voucher
Illinois public school students may retake the ACT Plus Writing on the October national test date as part of the Prairie State Achievement Examination (PSAE) grade 12 retake. Students participating in the grade 12 retake may use a state-funded retake voucher to pay the basic registration fee for the ACT Plus Writing. The voucher may not be used to register for any other test date. To earn new PSAE scores, students must register with the voucher and take both Day 1 (the ACT Plus Writing) and Day 2 (ISBE-developed Science test and two ACT WorkKeys assessments) of the PSAE.
Details about deadlines and procedures are provided on the retake voucher, copies of which are mailed in July to Illinois public schools that were approved to serve as PSAE test sites the previous spring.
National Test Date Voucher
A student who does not take the PSAE while in grade 11 and does not participate in the grade 12 retake in October may submit a PSAE Day 1 ACT national test date voucher to pay the basic ACT registration fee for the ACT (No Writing). Students wishing to take the ACT Plus Writing must pay the additional $15.00 fee. The voucher may be used to register for any national test date after October but can be used for only one test date.
The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) issues new guidance each fall to Illinois public school districts regarding the state law enacted in August 2004, which requires students to have taken the PSAE in order to receive a regular high school diploma.
Students may not apply directly to the state or ACT for a voucher. For more information about either PSAE voucher, students should check with a high school counselor.
Tennessee
Students enrolled in Tennessee public high schools may be eligible for a state-funded voucher to pay the basic fee for the ACT (No Writing) according to the following criteria:
- The voucher is intended primarily for grade 12 students who have not previously taken the ACT.
- Grade 11 students are not normally eligible for this voucher, as they will take the ACT at state expense through ACT Tennessee State Testing in April.
- At their discretion, districts may provide vouchers to grade 11 students who cannot participate in State Testing, who need their scores before that administration, or whose schedule of activities makes testing on a national test date more feasible for them.
The voucher does not cover the additional fee for the ACT Writing Test, the late registration fee, or any other optional services or additional fees. Students may only register for one test date with this voucher. Students cannot request a voucher from the state or ACT, they must check directly with their high school counselor for information. Public schools in Tennessee will receive a mailing by early August that includes all information and procedures for using this voucher.