Applying For Scholarships With A Low GPA: Tips For High School Seniors

Each student has their own unique skills and traits that make them unique. While some perform better in a classroom setting, others might perform better outside of it. Although your GPA is very important to your transcript and your future college application, it does not have to keep you from attaining your goals. It also does not have to prohibit you from finding the right scholarship before you begin college experience. At NSHSS, we want to encourage those students who may have struggled in the past to keep pushing forward, and to find the resources they might not know are out there. That is why we have pinpointed five key scholarships that are not based on any GPA requirements, but are instead built around highlighting your particular personal talents. 

1. NSHSS 18 Under 18 Award

This impactful scholarship is an amazing opportunity for any high school Senior to highlight their individual strengths. Instead of a formal essay and GPA requirement, this scholarship’s application requires one important thing: a video of you. In this video, you will tell us a story of a time when you gave back to your community. This video can be anywhere between thirty seconds to three minutes, just so long as you really put your best foot forward and tell us what you can bring to the table. 

2. The 9-1-1 Promise Scholarship

Sometimes where you come from can be much more important to who you are than grades and test scores. If you are a child of a fallen service member from either the military or law enforcement, then you are encouraged to apply. This application is open to those with a Grade Point Average as low 2.0, just so long as you can highlight you and your family’s experience during the difficult times they served. The recipient of this scholarship can earn up to $15,000.00 in tuition reward. 

3. McDonald’s HACER National Scholarship

If you are a high school senior with at least one parent of Hispanic heritage, then this is definitely worth your time. This scholarship aims to support members of the Hispanic community from all across America, and they can do this by providing them a helping hand in higher education. Each year, the program selects five students, no matter their GPA, with awards of up to $10,000.00. All you need is a good essay describing your family and your background, a high school transcript, and letter of acceptance into a college or university. 

4. Duck Brand Stuck at Prom Scholarship

This is easily the most inventive, quirky, and fun submission on our list. We wanted to highlight this particular scholarship because of just how much creativity is allowed. While some scholarships are primarily focused on grades, well-written essays, and other criteria, this scholarship is geared towards students who can display their passion for designing and presenting a fabulous prom outfit made only out of duct-tape. There can be more than one winner, and even a selected number of runners-up. The top prize is $15,000.00, and those who come in second and third can still earn up to $10,000.00. 

5. A Heroes Family Scholarship

Last but certainly not least, we have selected one of the more distinguished and important scholarships out there. This scholarship was designed to help students who have lost a parent or guardian who was killed in the line of duty. Any student who has lost somebody like this may write an essay describing their circumstances. If selected, that student will receive $1,000.00 in tuition money. 

Applying for scholarships does not have to be a measure of how good your grades are, but instead should focus on who you are as a student and individual. We hope that these five scholarships provide you a better understanding of what’s out there for you. People and companies from all over the world want to help students succeed. And, as you can see, they want to highlight the best parts about you, not to disqualify you based on your grade point average. So even if you are unsure about your grades, don’t be afraid to keep looking for the right scholarship. It’s out there waiting for you!