Academic scholarships, also known as merit-based scholarships, are some of the most coveted types of financial aid available. They’re given to students who have proven themselves to be academically inclined, with exemplary academic performance, competitive scores on standardized exams, versatile extracurricular and a list of other distinguishing factors. However, you don’t have to be perfect to get these types of scholarships – there are various levels of awards disbursed according to performance and ability.
Here are some of the prerequisites for receiving academic or merit-based scholarships:
- Excellent grades – greater than 3.5/4.0 GPA
- High class rank – top 10% of graduating class
- Member of honor society or group(s)
- Very strong participation in extracurricular activities
- Merit in a particular field or area
While the above list looks attainable to only a select few, a near-perfect performance is not required to attain the vast majority of academic scholarships bestowed to high-school students annually. Sure, there are a few full-tuition scholarships that are awarded every year to a very small minority of students that do fall into the above category, but the majority of scholarships are smaller amounts of money that pay for a portion of the bill. These scholarships are usually awarded at the federal, state, local, and institutional levels.
Federal – nationally recognized societies and organizations
ex: National Honor Society (NHS), National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS), Cum Laude Society, Tri-M Music Honor Society, National English Honor Society, National Spanish Honor Society (SHH), Mu Alpha Theta and Air Force Aid Society (AFAS)
State – state organizations, as well as national organizations within each state
ex: look up scholarships.com and collegescholarships.org – each website has “Scholarships by State” link – start there
Local – district and community stores or organizations that you might be close to, a part of or conduct business with on a regular basis
ex: look online for “local scholarships” and add your immediate community or township and go outwards from there
Institutional – national, state or local companies or schools that provide scholarships to students that are pursuing degrees that promote their cause or brand
ex: IBM, Amazon, Fry’s Foods, Walmart, Best Buy, local community colleges and universities