Top College Scholarships for B Students in November 2023

By Will Geiger

Will Geiger is the co-founder of Scholarships360 and has a decade of experience in college admissions and financial aid. He is a former Senior Assistant Director of Admissions at Kenyon College where he personally reviewed 10,000 admissions applications and essays. Will also managed the Kenyon College merit scholarship program and served on the financial aid appeals committee. He has also worked as an Associate Director of College Counseling at a high school in New Haven, Connecticut. Will earned his master’s in education from the University of Pennsylvania and received his undergraduate degree in history from Wake Forest University. Full Bio

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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. Full Bio

Maria Geiger

Updated: October 30th, 2023

Scholarships are NOT only for students with perfect 4.0 GPAs, 1600 SATs, and a zillion extracurricular activities. In fact, there are a ton of scholarships for B students. One of the best sources of scholarships are from the colleges themselves. For most students, the majority of scholarship money will come from merit scholarships that are school specific. 

Every school’s merit scholarship process is different, but you should aim towards the top of the applicant pool to get the best results. Keep reading below to check out our list of colleges that offer great merit scholarships along with some other options for gift aid. Remember, this is just the start of an impressive list of colleges and universities that offer scholarships to B students!

See also: The ultimate guide to scholarships

Colleges with generous merit scholarships for B students

Agnes Scott College (Decatur, GA)

• All students who apply early action are considered for scholarships ranging from $23,000-$26,000 per year
• Agnes Scott College also offers full tuition merit scholarships!

University of Alabama (Tuscaloosa, AL)

• ‘Bama offers a wide range of merit programs available to students both in-state and out.
• Incoming freshmen can automatically qualify for some diversity scholarships such as the National Recognition Scholarship Package. 

See also: Merit scholarships at Alabama

Allegheny College (Meadville, PA)

• The Allegheny Trustee Scholarship can be up to $40,000 per year for students.
• Students that are Methodist or involved in creative arts can also qualify for Allegheny scholarships. 

Auburn University (Auburn, AL)

• Offers the National Scholars Presidential Scholarship to National Merit Finalists and Semifinalists. 
• This program awards full-tuition scholarships to students both in-state and out-of-state, along with several other perks. 

Berry College (Rome, GA)

• Berry offers scholarships in a variety of domains including academics, leadership, arts, music, theater, Model UN, and forensic speech.
• This college also offers a scholarship for transfer students. 

Brigham Young University-Idaho (Rexburg, ID)

• BYU-Idaho offers grants ranging from 25% tuition to 100% tuition.
• Students with internships can also gain aid for their work experience. 

Champlain College (Burlington, VT)

• Champlain College offers merit scholarships to over 90% of students.

Curry College (Milton, MA)

• Curry College offers merit scholarships ranging from $2,000 to $27,500 per year.
• Scholarship amounts vary depending on the semester. 

Greensboro College (Greensboro, NC)

• Greensboro College offers a number of scholarship programs that range from $5,000 per year to full tuition!
• There are even scholarships offered for in-state students. 

Marquette University (Milwaukee, WI)

• Marquette offers a number of scholarship programs that go up to full tuition!
• Students that have attended certain high schools or currently study a specific major can qualify for special scholarships. 

Monmouth University (West Long Branch, NJ)

• Monmouth offers about $80 million in scholarships each year. 

Ohio Wesleyan University (Delaware, OH)

• A majority of OHU merit scholarships start at $15,000 annually.
• 99.3% of students receive some form of financial aid. 

Roanoke College (Roanoke, VA)

• Students with at least a 3.0 GPA and a 1200 SAT or a 23 ACT will receive an additional $1,000 award on top of any other aid.
• Merit scholarships at Roanoke range up to $20,000 per year.

Stetson University (DeLand, FL)

• Stetson offers the Presidential Scholarship Package, Faculty-Merit Scholarship Package, Dean’s Scholarship Package and more.
• Stetson’s merit scholarships can be up to $37,000 per year.

Transylvania College (Lexington, KY)

• Transylvania College offers scholarships to students ranging from $10,000 to full tuition per year.
• Students with a 3.0 GPA and a 23 ACT can qualify for a merit scholarship worth at least $20,000 per year.

Wabash College (Crawfordsville, IN)

• Wabash offers every student with a 3.0 GPA and a 20 ACT or 1020 SAT at least $17,000 in merit scholarship money.

Wentworth Institute (Boston, MA)

• Wentworth’s scholarships range from $1,000 to $13,000 and no separate application is necessary.
• If you’re interested in robotics or STEM, this college offers a few scholarships specifically for that activity!

Xavier University (Cincinnati, OH)

• Xavier offers merit scholarships ranging from $21,000 to $25,000 annually.
• First generation college students also have a scholarship available just for them.

Related: High school and college GPA guide

Random-choice scholarships

Another great scholarship alternative for B students is a random-choice scholarship. In these competitions, the committee will not judge your academic performance, extracurriculars, or other assets. 

Every entry has an equal chance of winning, and they typically take much less time to apply for. One example of this type of scholarship is our very own $1,000 no-essay scholarship. Simply by creating a free account, you’ll have an equal chance of winning as any other entry.

Also see: Top easy scholarships to apply for

Drawbacks of random-choice scholarships 

Because it’s so easy to enter the competition, these scholarships usually have a lot of applicants, which reduces your statistical chances of winning significantly. So, although they can be a great option to explore, you might not want to rely wholly on random-choice scholarships.

Keep in mind also that not all random-choice scholarships are created equal. Some might sign you up for spam, and others might even solicit a fee. Make sure to steer clear of these, and never pay for consideration in a scholarship competition.

Don’t miss: How to spot scholarship scams

Extracurriculars scholarships

Remember – grades aren’t everything! Even if you might not stand out by the grades you earned on your report card, you might have found other ways to distinguish yourself as a promising student. If you were heavily involved in extracurriculars and made notable accomplishments outside of class, you might be able to secure scholarships based on this.

Many scholarships take into account a combination of grades, demonstrated leadership, financial need, and more. Some weigh extracurriculars more heavily than others; when investigating potential scholarships, try to find ones that take the emphasis off of grades and focus on other achievements.

Scholarships by demographics

Many scholarships take the demographics of their applicants into account when deciding on the recipient. We have lists of scholarships available for Black students, Asian students, Native American students, women, students with ADHD, and even scholarships for twins. Try to think of every aspect of your identity and pursue scholarships for members of that demographic.

Local scholarships

Local scholarships are a great resource for any student, especially those who earned a 3.0 GPA. These scholarships only allow applicants from a certain area, which means that the applicant pool is much smaller. 

Also, factors such as dedication to the community and other non-grade achievements might be more relevant. Our guide to winning local scholarships can help get you started on where to look for local scholarship opportunities.

Federal financial aid

Federal financial aid doesn’t discriminate; the only measure is demonstrated financial need. This is a great opportunity for B students who have financial need, so fill out the FAFSA as soon as possible to take advantage of all your aid options. You might qualify for the Pell Grant, Stafford Loans, institutional aid, and more.

Don’t miss: How to choose a college

Key Takeaways

• B students have great educational opportunities
• Applicants should be towards the top of the applicant pool in order to be in the running for scholarships
• Always apply for the FAFSA as soon as possible!
• In addition to institutional scholarships, apply to local and demographic scholarships as well

Frequently asked questions about colleges for B Students