Scholarships offer international students the chance to receive a better education than if there were no scholarships available, reducing the risk of receiving a lower-quality education due to lack of funds. If you are interested in knowing more about what grades do you need to get a scholarship, then read this article.

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Types of scholarships

There are several types of scholarships that students receive may or may not rely on a high GPA score, including:

Merit-based or academic

Institutions typically award an academic scholarship to students who excel in their studies. If you’re hoping to receive a merit-based scholarship, then receiving a high GPA over 3.5 and testing well on the SAT or ACT can impress colleges.

Some scholarships, such as private or company-sponsored scholarships, may only have a set amount of money available, so they can award it to either an individual or a small group of people.

Some universities award academic scholarships with set requirements, such as a high GPA, that you can automatically win if you meet these requirements, regardless of how many people win it. This means you’re not competing with others to win the scholarship, since anyone who meets the requirements automatically receives it.

Need-based

Students who need financial support for college often receive need-based scholarships. The requirements for this scholarship often depend on the organization distributing it.

The scholarships may require students to prove their household income, and the students can earn the scholarship if their income is lower than a specific amount. Need-based scholarships may have other requirements in addition to income amounts, including reaching certain GPAs or test scores.

Race, ethnicity or gender

Students can receive these scholarships if they are of a certain race or ethnicity. An example of a possible scholarship could be one going to a female Hispanic student majoring in biology with a GPA of 3.0 or higher.

Many race or ethnicity scholarships are open to international students, so they may receive a higher volume of candidates. Common race or ethnicity scholarships include:

• Native American scholarships
• African American scholarships
• Asian/Pacific Islander scholarships
• Hispanic/Latino scholarships

Athletic

If a student excels in a certain sport, they may receive attention from a college’s recruitment scout and receive a scholarship. Athletic scholarships typically guarantee a spot on the institution’s corresponding sports team and require an ongoing commitment by the athlete to continue playing on the team while using the scholarship. The scholarship may cover costs for tuition and on-campus residency.

Major-based

A college’s department may award scholarships to students if they’re pursuing that department’s major. Institutions may require students to send in additional information, such as portfolios or audition materials. For instance, someone applying for a vocal music scholarship may audition by submitting a video of them singing.

Interest- or hobby-based

Some institutions award scholarships to students with a certain hobby or interest. Clubs at the university may provide the funds, or the scholarships may earn funding from local or national organizations.

These scholarships usually require a student’s regular participation in the interest or hobby, along with additional requirements, which may vary depending on the scholarship. Some examples of hobby-based awards include culinary, poetry or gaming scholarships

The Hard Truth about Scholarships

One important thing you should know about scholarships is that they are not given out just to anyone  who asks, requests, or begs for it.  They are not given just because you are poor and disadvantaged.  They are not given just because you are from a developing country or just because you belong to a minority group.  The truth is scholarships are not given out, they are earned. You earn it by demonstrating your potential and establishing your qualifications.

Am I Qualified for an International Scholarship?

Although it is true that your disadvantaged situation initially qualifies you for a scholarship (that’s why there are minority scholarships, scholarships based on financial need, developing country scholarships), you will still have to satisfy other qualifications set by the scholarship provider.

Let’s look at a general overview of typical scholarship qualifications required by scholarship providers.

Minimum Scholarship Qualifications

– You must be from a country which the scholarship provider specifies

– You must be of a certain age as set by the scholarship provider. Note that this is not always the case, there are many scholarships where there is no age requirement.

– You must hold a High School Diploma when applying for a Bachelors; a Bachelor’s Degree when applying for Master’s; and a Master’s Degree when applying for PhD

– You must meet the  academic requirements of the programme you are applying to. In most cases, you have to be accepted in the progamme your are applying to before you are considered for a scholarship.

– You must have good knowledge of English language with TOEFL or IELTS scores as proof. In some cases, proof of English as medium of instruction in your university degree would suffice.

Additional Qualifications of Specific Types of Scholarships

– Entrance Scholarships: you have to meet the high school academic average set by the scholarship provider (usually 90% or above)

– Excellence Scholarships: you have to meet the GPA required by the scholarship provider (usually 3.0 or above on a 4.0 rating system)

– Leadership Scholarships: you must demonstrate leadership potential and possess leadership skills and/or experience

– Competition Scholarships: you must win the competition (i.e. essay competition)

– Development Scholarships: you must go back to your home country after your studies

– Youth Scholarships:  you have to be young, atleast below 25

Are my Qualifications Enough?

Even if you meet the minimum qualifications of the scholarship, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll get a scholarship. Yes, good qualification improve your chances but still, there will be hundreds or thousands of you with the same qualifications applying for the same scholarship. Thus, scholarship providers set up scholarship criteria to filter out the best students who will get the scholarship. Here are some of the scholarship criteria used by scholarship provider:

•  The student’s academic excellence and potential in his/her proposed field of study –  applicants must be able to demonstrate a connection between their subject of study and their longer-term career objectives.

•  The student’s academic performance – as evidenced by grades, test scores, publications, letters of recommendation from his/her previous education.

•  The student’s motivation letter (or in some cases, a motivation essay)

•  The quality of the scholarship application submitted (completeness, accuracy, consistency).

•  In development scholarships in particular, students are assessed based on their potential to contribute to the development of their home country.

•  In the case of research students, students are assessed based on the merits and relevance of their proposed research study.

Knowing these criteria, you can find ways to gain advantage over your competitors.  For example, if you don’t have very good academic grades, the personal motivation letter is your chance to show how you deserve to get the scholarship.   In another example, you can do a little extra research about the current areas of focus of the scholarship provider because sometimes,  students are chosen based on their chosen field of study or research – if it aligns with the scholarship provider’s core mission/themes.  It is also useful to know the profiles of previous scholarship recipients; it will give you an idea of the kind of student that the scholarship providers are looking for.

A Simple Test

Here’s a simple way to test your chances in getting a scholarship. Answer truthfully: have you met at least the minimum scholarship qualifications outlined above? If yes, then you have a good chance in getting a scholarship. If no, then you would have tougher chances in getting a scholarship; either you find a way to meet the qualifications set by the scholarship provider or find other scholarships that doesn’t require strict qualifications.

Hopefully, this post helped you to gain new perspective about applying for a scholarship and what it requires from you.

Can I get a full-ride scholarship with a 4.0 GPA?

Studies have shown that the average GPA among high school students has gone up over the years. In the year 2009, the average GPA for high school was 3.0. In 2017, the average GPA went up to 3.38, showing that the high school GPA has been steadily rising over the past decade. Having a high GPA is becoming more attainable for students but attaining the perfect 4.0 GPA is still a hard-won battle that not many scholarship applicants can boast.

Full-ride scholarships that are merit-based are awarded to students based on academic excellence, which a student’s GPA score is a big indicator of. A 4.0 Grade Point Average is not only a high GPA, it’s an impressive GPA that’s sure to catch the eyes of many scholarship providers. Since the minimum GPA for a full-ride scholarship is usually set at 3.5, a 4.0 is sure to always be above and beyond what’s required.

Keep in mind that while a strong GPA does help, it’s not the only deciding factor. The scholarship review committee will also evaluate your other qualifications such as test scores, extracurricular activities, leadership skills, etc. Be sure your application is well-rounded rather than solely depending on your GPA to carry you through the application process.

Can I get a full-ride scholarship with a 3.0 GPA?

Although a strong GPA helps increase your chances of getting a full-ride scholarship, you don’t need a perfect 4.0 to be qualified. In fact, GPA requirements are most commonly set at a 3.0 average, with what’s considered to be a “good GPA” typically being a score between 3.5 and 3.8.

Not all scholarships require students to have such a high GPA. Of course, what GPA score qualifies you for a full-ride scholarship still differs from one scholarship application to the next.

Grade point average is only one possible indicator showing high academic achievement. There are many other ways to showcase your rigor that scholarship applications will also look for. However, if you are trying to apply for full-ride scholarships with anything below a 3.0, there are other types of scholarships that you would probably have a better shot at.

If you want to improve your GPA, the high school classes you take matter. Focus on the core classes necessary for your current school year. Utilize the time and resources you have, such as meeting with a tutor or study group. Contact your guidance counselor about setting goals and making a game plan toward achieving the GPA you desire.

Additionally, you can always find scholarships on Bold.org that are specific to your GPA. For example, you can check out this list of scholarships exclusively for students with 3.5 GPAs.

What is the lowest GPA to get a scholarship?

Many scholarship requirements have in place a minimum GPA to limit the applicant pool. Usually, the range for more lenient GPA requirements limits eligibility to a 2.0-grade point average on the lower end (and a 3.5 on the higher end). While having a lower GPA of around 2.0 or below is unlikely to get you a full-ride scholarship that is merit-based, other full-ride scholarships exist with more lenient GPA criteria.

Athletic scholarships from NCAA are also full-ride scholarships but are very rare. Only about 2% of high school athletes are awarded financial aid to compete in college. However, student-athletes actually have a great advantage when it comes to calculating their Grade Point Average for scholarship eligibility.

Athletic scholarships require students going to Division I and II schools to have at least a 2.0 GPA but the NCAA calculates GPA based only on the grades earned in NCAA-approved core courses. You can learn more about getting an athletic scholarship for college in this guide!

You can even find scholarship opportunities on Bold.org that may be a better fit for you and your GPA. You can find GPA scholarships with 2022 deadlines on this list and you can even find scholarships for students with a 2.0 GPA in this guide.

For even more scholarships, including non-GPA-based opportunities, browse through the list of exclusive Bold.orgscholarships today!