$200 national math competition grants for Colorado rural middle schools!
Each year since 1985, thousands of middle school students across the country voluntarily take a 25-question, 40-minute multiple-choice math test offered by American Mathematics Competitions (AMC), a program of the Mathematical Association of America. The AMC 8 competition is open to any student in grade 8 or below (including advanced 4th-6th graders) and is designed to develop students’ problem-solving skills and interest in mathematics.
More than 80,000 middle school students nationwide took the AMC 8 test last January. In Colorado, more than 400 Colorado students from 25 schools participated, including four students who turned in perfect papers! [checking with AMC HQ]
The AMC 8 competition is hosted locally by middle schools as well as by high schools, colleges and universities, and other learning centers across the country. For the 2026-27 school year, the test can be given anytime during the 7-day period, January 21-27, 2027. For more information about the test, visit the AMC 8 contest website.
To encourage greater participation in the AMC 8 contest by rural middle schools, Colorado Math Awards (CMA) is offering a limited number of $200 grants to defray the costs of AMC 8 registration and test-taking materials. Unused funds may be used at the discretion of the school to help students prepare for the test and to celebrate their participation and results afterward.
All middle schools in rural school districts listed by the Colorado Department of Education are eligible for these grants. Preference will be given to those schools that have not administered the AMC 8 exam before. Other test sites serving middle school students in rural school districts are also eligible.
AMC 8 registration deadlines and test site fees vary: Early Bird (Oct. 28th, $55); Regular (Jan. 5th, $75); and Late (Jan. 14th, $115). In addition, test booklet fees are $25 per bundle of ten exams. The national AMC 8 registration site includes the registration form, a teacher’s manual, and other resources for hosting the AMC 8 competition.
Top Colorado students in the AMC 8 and other national and state math contests will be honored at a reception and awards program hosted by Colorado Math Awards in Denver next spring.
To apply for a $200 AMC 8 grant from Colorado Math Awards, please contact us at coloradomathawards@gmail.com to reserve your grant. At present, we have 10 grants available.
Upon receiving CMA’s confirmation of grant eligibility, complete the form on the national AMC 8 registration site and include payment from your own funds. Once AMC headquarters confirms your registration, email a copy to CMA and a $200 check will be mailed to the school’s contact person.
Questions? Contact us directly at coloradomathawards@gmail.com.
Colorado Math Awards (CMA) is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt charitable organization led by volunteers from the Colorado Council of Teachers of Mathematics, the Rocky Mountain Section of the Mathematical Association of America, Colorado MATHCOUNTS, the Colorado Department of Education, and other friends of mathematics.