High School Grades Can Earn a Huge Monetary Reward

“High School Grades Could Be Worth $100,000. Time to Tell Your Child?” That’s the title of a recent New York Times article, written by the prestigious newspaper’s “Your Money” columnist, Ron Lieber, who also penned a newly-released book, “The Price You Pay for College: An Entirely New Road Map for the Biggest Financial Decision Your Family Will Ever Make.”  

The focus is the huge impact that “merit aid” plays on discounting the price that students and families actually pay for their undergraduate education. Lieber compares college classrooms to airplane cabins, with people paying vastly different amounts for the same experience.

There are certain criteria that affect admissions and financial aid offers that are out of a student’s control, such as parents’ income, zip code, and other demographic information.  But there is much that is within a student’s power, such as high school grades (starting with the first semester of freshman year) and SAT scores. That’s the topic that Lieber recommends parents and their children talk about.

Parents and student-athletes often discuss, from early on, what needs to be accomplished on the playing field in order to secure college scholarships. The same discussion should be applied to academic achievements within the classroom.

According to Lieber, private colleges seeking a bit more prestige started offering money, decades ago, to high-achieving students. This led to a “full-on arms race,” as other colleges vying for the same students had to do the same. The result is that students with straight-A averages and high SAT scores often find themselves the subject of bidding wars. 

“A big merit award could nudge an ace high school senior toward New Orleans and Tulane instead of heading to Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan,” reported Lieber. “A full-tuition offer from the University of Southern California just might pull others away from Cornell and Williams.”  

At many universities, both public and private, students and their parents are often surprised by the substantial amount of scholarship money offered to top students to entice them to enroll.  But other colleges motivate potential students from early on by publishing a chart correlating grades and SAT scores to “merit” awards.  West Virginia University, for example, offers $16,000 per year to out-of-state students with SAT scores of 1390+ and a 4.0 GPA.  Florida Gulf Coast offers $15,000 scholarships for non-Florida residents with SAT scores of 1320+ and a 3.9 GPA. Colorado State offers $10,000 for SAT scores of 1330+ and a 3.8 GPA.

A little advanced research, and diligent work on behalf of high school students, can result in substantial monetary rewards.

Susan Alaimo is the founder and director of Collegebound Review that, for the past 25 years, has offered PSAT/SAT® preparation and private college advising by Ivy League educated instructors. Visit CollegeboundReview.com or call 908-369-5362