The qualifications for each category of ABSSA are as follows:

Sports

Must have achieved all-state or higher or played on a championship team or comparable experience.

Academics

Must have earned a master‛s degree or higher or comparable experience.

Icons

The last living faculty, staff, and school personnel.

Legends

The first/last to achieve locally, statewide, nationally, or internationally.

Vanguards

Heirs of members of the all black schools who are at the forefront of their careers and have achieved allstate or higher or played on a championship team or comparable experience for sports and/or have earned a master‛s degree or higher or comparable experience for academics.