Grade rules on scholarships and what to do when you slip
This article helps a student who holds a scholarship with a grade rule read that rule and respond quickly if grades slip. The sponsor of each award sets its own terms, so the steps depend on who pays.
Reading the rule on each award
Scholarships with grade rules usually set a minimum grade average and a credit load, such as full-time enrollment. The state agency writes the rule for a state merit award, the college writes it for an admissions or department award, and a private sponsor writes its own. These rules are often stricter than satisfactory academic progress.
Find out when each sponsor checks. Some look at the cumulative average once a year, and others look at every term. The timing decides whether one weak term costs you the award or leaves room to recover.
When your grades slip
Talk to the sponsor before final grades post if you can see a problem coming. A college scholarship office can explain whether it offers a probation term, and some state programs let a student regain an award after raising the average. Private sponsors vary widely, so write to them directly.
Ask your adviser and instructors about tutoring, a lighter load next term or an incomplete grade for a class disrupted by illness. A summer course can raise a cumulative average if the sponsor counts summer grades. Check that rule first, since some sponsors look only at fall and spring.
Grade changes and incompletes have their own deadlines at the registrar. Finish the work on time so the sponsor sees the final grade.
The timing decides whether one weak term costs you the award or leaves room to recover.
If the award ends
Federal grants and need-based state grants usually continue when a scholarship ends, as long as you meet satisfactory academic progress. Ask the aid office to review your offer, since the college may have other grants to replace part of the loss. An appeal to the sponsor is often possible when a hardship caused the drop.
Look for awards that judge more than grades, such as local community foundation scholarships. Keep your reapplication dates in one place so a regained average leads straight to a new application.
Steps to take this week
- List the grade and credit rule on each scholarship
- Note when each sponsor checks grades
- Contact the sponsor before final grades post
- Ask the aid office about replacement grants
Who decides
The scholarship sponsor and your college's financial aid office
Each scholarship sponsor sets its own grade rule and review date, so learn them early and contact the sponsor before a weak term becomes a lost award.
