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Top College Scholarships for B Students in March 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. In fact, for most students, the majority of scholarship money will come from merit scholarships that are school specific (for more on how to think about scholarship funding, check out our ultimate guide to scholarships). They key to getting the most merit scholarship is crafting a really good list.

Curious on whether you will qualify for merit-based scholarships at a school? Scattergrams are a great way to see how you stack up against a college’s applicant pool as far as test scores and GPA. Every school’s merit scholarship process is different, but you should be towards the top of the applicant pool as far as grades and test scores in order to be competitive.

Notes on this list: Many of these schools have strong need-based financial aid programs as well, although this list solely focuses on merit-based financial aid programs.

Colleges with generous merit scholarships for B students

Agnes Scott College (Decatur, GA)

• All students who apply by 1/15 are considered for scholarships ranging from $10,000-$25,000 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
• See Also: Merit scholarships at Alabama

Allegheny College (Meadville, PA)

• The Allegheny Trustee Scholarship ranges from $10,000 to $30,000 per year for students

Auburn University (Auburn, AL)

• Offers the National Scholars Presidential Scholarship to National Merit Finalists and National Achievement Finalists
• This program awards full-tuition scholarships to students both in-state and out-of-state, along with several other perks (including a $1,000 technology stipend)
• The National Scholars Presidential Scholarship

Berry College (Rome, GA)

• Berry offers scholarships in a variety of domains including academics, leadership, arts, music, theater, Model UN, and forensic speech

Brigham Young University-Idaho (Rexburg, ID)

• BYU-Idaho offers merit scholarships ranging from 25% tuition to 100% tuition

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 $3,000 to $28,000 per year

Greensboro College (Greensboro, NC)

• Greensboro College offers a number of scholarship programs that range from $5,000 per year to full tuition!

Marquette University (Milwaukee, WI)

• Marquette offers a number of scholarship programs that go up to full tuition!

Monmouth University (Long Branch, NJ)

• Monmouth offers a number of scholarships ranging from $2,000 to $25,000 per year

Ohio Wesleyan University (Delaware, OH)

• Offers $30,000 per year for students with a 3.4 GPA and test scores of at least a 1150 on the SAT or 23 on the ACT
• 97% of OWU students receive merit or need-based scholarships

Roanoke College (Roanoke, VA)

• Students with at least a 2.75 GPA and a 1020 SAT will receive a Maroon Award worth $8,500 per year
• Merit scholarships at Roanoke range up to $25,000 per year

Stetson University (DeLand, FL)

• Stetson offers the Presidential Scholarship Package, Faculty Scholarship Package, Deans Scholarship Package, and the Hatter Scholarship Package
• Stetson’s scholarships range from $10,000 to Full Tuition

Transylvania College (Lexington, KY)

• Transylvania College offers scholarships to students ranging from $7,000 to full tuition per year
• Students with a 3.0 GPA and a 23 ACT can qualify for a merit scholarship worth at least $7,000 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

Xavier University (Cincinnati, OH)

• Xavier offers merit scholarships ranging from $5,000 to $18,500 annually

Summary of top college scholarships for B students:

• Agnes Scott College (Decatur, GA)
• University of Alabama (Tuscaloosa, AL)
• Allegheny College (Meadville, PA)
• Auburn University (Auburn, AL)
• Berry College (Rome, GA)
• Brigham Young University-Idaho (Rexburg, ID)
• Champlain College (Burlington, VT)
• Curry College (Milton, MA)
• Greensboro College (Greensboro, NC)
• Marquette University (Milwaukee, WI)
• Monmouth University (Long Branch, NJ)
• Ohio Wesleyan University (Delaware, OH)
• Roanoke College (Roanoke, VA)
• Stetson University (DeLand, FL)
• Transylvania College  (Lexington, KY)
• Wabash College  (Crawfordsville, IN)
• Wentworth Institute  (Boston, MA)
• Xavier University (Cincinnati, OH

Random-choice scholarships

When it comes to looking for scholarships, one great option for B students is the random-choice scholarship. In these competitions, the committee will not judge you based on 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

Of course, there is a downside to this type of scholarship. 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 up you up for spam, and others might even solicit a fee in return for entry. 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 f0cus 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 which are aimed towards 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. What’s more, 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 does not discriminate whatsoever based on grades or academic performance; their only measure is demonstrated financial need. This is a great opportunity for B students who have financial need; it’s very important that every student fill out the FAFSA to ensure they know all of their financial aid options. You might qualify for the Pell Grant, Stafford Loans, institutional aid, and more.

Summing it up

If there’s one thing to take away from all of this, it’s that B students still have great opportunities to earn scholarships. You can apply to colleges where your GPA and test scores are in the top 25 percentile of applicants to increase your likelihood of earning an institutional merit scholarship. Additionally, you can apply for random-choice scholarships, scholarships by demographic, extracurricular-based scholarships, local scholarships, and federal financial aid.

Good luck on your search and make sure to check back on our site as you move through the application and college decision process!

Don’t miss: How to choose a college