SAT/ACT’s Impact on Scholarships
When students with competitive grades also have very high SAT/ACT scores and/or scores that far exceed the average at a given school, their chances for merit aid increase exponentially. Scholarship money that is won for tuition is not taxable and is far easier to repay than student loans with interest. Many schools have published “merit aid grids” that are based purely on a student’s GPA and test scores.
High SAT/ACT scores can allow students to compete for many types of scholarships, including:
- School-Based Scholarships at private or out-of-state universities
- National Merit Scholarships (based on the PSAT that is given in October of junior year)
- HOPE Scholarships for Georgia students: Over the past few years, the popularity of the lottery scholarship has made the average UGA and Georgia Tech score a top 10% SAT score. The average UGA applicant who was admitted early action in 2014 had an SAT of 2010 out of 2400 and/or an ACT of 30, which are both top 6-7% scores. Additionally, recent changes to the HOPE Scholarship for the “Full HOPE” requires a single-day SAT of either 1200 out of 1600 or an ACT Composite of 26.
- In-State Tuition at Out-of-State Universities: Some public state schools give in-state tuition rates to out-of-state students with competitive profiles (including test scores). Out-of-state tuition exceeds in-state tuition by approximately $80,000 over the course of four years at most public universities in the Southeast.
Auburn Case Study:
At Auburn, the required GPA is 3.5 for every level of merit scholarship money. The ACT/SAT score is essentially the sole variable upon which merit aid is determined. Ironically, a 3.5 would be a challenging GPA to even get into Auburn with in the present day. In an era of prominent grade inflation where 80% of college freshmen had A averages, test scores are the easiest way to stand out!
