By Cait Steele
Cait Williams is a Content Writer at Scholarships360. Cait recently graduated from Ohio University with a degree in Journalism and Strategic Communications. During her time at OU, was active in the outdoor recreation community.
Reviewed by Caitlyn Cole
Caitlyn Cole is a college access professional with a decade of experience in non-profit program and project management for college readiness and access organizations.
Edited by Maria Geiger
Maria Geiger is Director of Content at Scholarships360. She is a former online educational technology instructor and adjunct writing instructor. In addition to education reform, Maria’s interests include viewpoint diversity, blended/flipped learning, digital communication, and integrating media/web tools into the curriculum to better facilitate student engagement. Maria earned both a B.A. and an M.A. in English Literature from Monmouth University, an M. Ed. in Education from Monmouth University, and a Virtual Online Teaching Certificate (VOLT) from the University of Pennsylvania.
Updated: June 18th, 2024
If you’ve submitted any scholarship applications, you know how disappointing it can be when you spend a lot of time on an application only to not be selected. But what if when you applied for a scholarship, you could be guaranteed you would get it just based on your ACT or SAT score? Well, the truth is, those scholarships do exist! So, let’s look at how you can find them!
First, know that the term “guaranteed scholarship” can be a bit misleading. While you may meet the score requirements a college has for a scholarship or grant, don’t assume you will receive an award until you are officially told. Always speak with your school’s financial aid office to inquire about these scholarships and your eligibility before you apply.
Before we get into the specifics about guaranteed scholarships, let’s get a little background information. As you learn about guaranteed scholarships you may start to think that they sound a lot like merit or even need based scholarships. So, let’s look at the differences between these three common types of scholarships.
A guaranteed scholarship is based on a single set of requirements laid out for students to see. They require no additional materials, interviews, or applications. They are generally not limited to a certain number of recipients and therefore tend to be less competitive. You’ll generally find guaranteed scholarships awarded directly by colleges.
Merit scholarships are based on your record of academic or extracurricular achievements. They may require an application, but they will generally consist of things like your transcripts, test scores, and proof of participation in various activities. Merit scholarships don’t often ask for essays, letters of recommendation, or interviews. Merit scholarships generally come from private organizations or the college you are attending and can range from mildly competitive to highly competitive.
Need based scholarships look at the level of need that a student has financially. A need-based scholarship may have lower or no academic record requirements and instead will look only at your documented need for financial assistance. Again, this sort of scholarship may have multiple or only one award depending upon who receives it. Need based scholarships come from colleges or private organizations.
Okay, now let’s talk about what we came here to talk about! In order to qualify for guaranteed scholarships based on ACT/SAT scores, it goes without saying that you’ll need to have first taken the ACT or SAT. From there, you will need to find the specific scholarships you are considering to see what the minimum scores are that you need to apply.
It’s important to note that just because a scholarship is based primarily on your test score does not mean you need to have an outstanding score. Every scholarship will have a different minimum ACT or SAT score which can range quite a lot.
Schools award guaranteed scholarships, which means the first page you should look at is your prospective school’s scholarship page. Private organizations are more likely to give out merit scholarships, which usually have a cap on the amount that they give out. While not all colleges give out unlimited guaranteed scholarships, you can generally count on them to have a much higher number of scholarship recipients.
The best part about guaranteed scholarships is that they take little to no extra work to apply to! In most cases, colleges will automatically consider you for any of their guaranteed scholarships if you meet their criteria through your general application.
It is important to note that because your college application serves as your scholarship application for some of these guaranteed scholarships, it will need to have all the necessary criteria for admission and for the scholarship itself. For example, if you are applying to a test optional school, you may not have included your test scores, but in order to be eligible for some scholarships, you will need to include that information.
Deciding between the ACT or SAT can be tough. There are a lot of questions you could ask, but ultimately there is no one thing that makes one test better or worse than the other. While the structure of each test is largely the same, the SAT is thought to be better for students who excel at reading and writing skills. Meanwhile, the ACT is better for students that are stronger in math and analytical thinking.
If it is an option for you, it can’t hurt to take both tests and use the better of your two scores. It’s also a good idea to take these tests early on in your junior year so that you have time to retake either of them if you’d want to try for a better score.
A good score on the ACT or SAT is relative to where you live and where you are applying to college. Generally, having a score that falls within the 75th percentile is a good place to be. An average score for the ACT and average score for the SAT is based on the state you live in and how many people are taking the test.
When thinking about how to get the best score, focus on the things that are in your power. You can work on completing practice tests, read about the structure of the test, and even work with a tutor.
Before we wrap up, let’s look at just a few examples of guaranteed scholarships that real colleges offer to their students.
Let’s start by looking at Michigan Tech. They provide their first year students with a graph to see what awards they are eligible for based on their test score and GPA combined. Incoming students are automatically considered for these awards and can renew them for up to eight semesters! As long as students meet Michigan Tech’s criteria, they should receive an award.
The University of Missouri offers their students the same type of scholarships. A graph of their awards is available on their webpage as well. Their awards are also renewable and combinable with a number of awards to help students pay for school.
A scholarship that pays for everything is called a full ride scholarship . Tuition, room, board, and other expenses such as books will likely be covered in a full ride scholarship. These scholarships may come from a private organization, though they can also come directly from a school. They are usually based on several factors, such as academics, extracurriculars, athletics, and more.
Scholarships that are easier to apply to do not mean that they are necessarily easier to win. Scholarships that offer easy applications are great to apply for, but you should count on also filling out some longer applications as well, which will likely be for greater awards. The easiest scholarships to apply for will likely be guaranteed scholarships or others that are directly offered by the school you are applying to.
Seeking out unique scholarships is a great way to limit the number of applicants you will be up against. If there’s a hobby you have or activity that you are a part of that is a bit rare , you should seek out any and all scholarships that have to do with it! As for more general scholarships, the best way to find them is to look for them everywhere! Ask your guidance counselors, local businesses, and even the companies that your parents or guardian may work at. Scholarships are everywhere, so remember to be on the lookout!
