At The Enrichery, we always encourage students to submit test scores as a part of their admissions materials—especially if those scores are competitive. Even at test-optional schools, we’ve seen time and again that submitting test scores significantly increases a student’s chance of getting admitted to a university across all levels of selectivity.
There is, however, another reason why we see testing as a valuable part of admissions materials: They have an actual monetary value at some universities.
Depending on the type of scholarship offered by a university, your student’s test score might factor into whether they receive a specific financial award. And, a significant number of universities offer scholarships automatically to applicants at or above a specific test score—much like the awards offered to National Merit Scholar Finalists and Semi-Finalists.
A Note Before Reviewing Automatic Scholarships
This list covers automatic scholarships provided by large in-state and out-of-state universities. It focuses on more selective Texas universities. For out-of-state schools, it looks at well-known universities that offer meaningful scholarship amounts to out-of-state students. This is to say that this is not an exhaustive list of all automatic scholarships—nor should it be. An important part of applying for universities is having your student look into the financial aid and scholarships offered by each institution.
It is also important to note that highly selective universities typically don’t award automatic scholarships based solely on test scores—this list does not include MIT, Stanford, Cal Tech, Duke, the Ivy League Schools, or any of the other Top 25 Universities in the country. That said, we strongly encourage students with high test scores to consider them. Many graduates’ perception of the value of their college degree is (understandably) tied to the amount of student loan debt they incurred over the course of their college degree. Additionally, avoiding significant debt could help your student feel more comfortable with pursuing a less conventional major and career that they could ultimately love.
Texas Tech University
Incoming first-time freshmen can be automatically awarded up to $9,000 a year through the Presidential Merit Scholarship, which is based on a student’s unweighted high school GPA and test scores. Like other universities on this list, students simply need to maintain a GPA above 3.5 each year to be annually awarded the same amount.
National Merit Scholars that designate Texas Tech as their first-choice institution are also eligible for a full-ride scholarship, meaning all federally approved costs are covered by the university.
Texas State University
Students with a SAT score above 1420 or an ACT score above 32 are automatically eligible for the President’s Honor Scholarship, which provides $12,000 each year towards a student’s tuition.
National Merit Scholar Finalists can also receive $10,000 a year through Texas State’s National Distinction Scholarship.
The Ohio State University
A top 20 public university, The Ohio State University awards the National Buckeye Scholarship exclusively to out-of-state students based on GPA, class rank, curriculum rigor, and ACT or SAT scores. The $13,500 recipients receive each year can also be combined with the university’s Maximus, Provost, or Trustees Scholarship, which are awarded based on the same criteria.
University of Oklahoma
In addition to $129,850 awarded to out-of-state National Merit Finalists and $64,000 for National Merit Semi-Finalists, the University of Oklahoma offers a significant amount of merit scholarships for non-resident students. These include the Award of Excellence, which offers $64,000 across four years to out-of-state students with an ACT score above 31 or SAT score above 1390, and a 3.5+ GPA or top 10% class rank.
University of Alabama
Out-of-state students with a composite or total ACT score between 32 and 36 or SAT score between 1420 and 1600 and GPA above 3.5 are automatically offered the University of Alabama’s Presidential Scholarship, which has a yearly value of $28,000. Students with a perfect ACT or SAT score and GPA at or above 4.0 are awarded the Presidential Elite Scholarship, which covers full tuition and the student’s first year of on-campus house along with awarding $1,500 in supplemental scholarship money for four years and a one-time $2,000 allowance to use towards research or international study after their first year.
And, like the Texas Tech, National Merit Finalists that designate Alabama as their first-choice institution receive a full-ride scholarship. National Merit Semi-Finalists are also automatically eligible for the Presidential Scholarship.
Even More Universities, Even More Scholarships
As mentioned before, this list is not exhaustive. The University of Mississippi, University of Missouri, University of Kentucky, Howard University, and many others offer significant automatic scholarships to incoming students—and we encourage students and parents to look into all of them!
For parents with students who are currently applying to universities, it’s important to note here that your student doesn’t necessarily need to have an exceptional score to earn significant tuition dollars. The University of Oklahoma offers scholarships to out-of-state students with ACT scores starting at 24 and SAT scores starting at 1160. The University of Arizona awards up to $32,000 in scholarship money to out-of-state students with an unweighted 4.0 GPA. And, of course, many universities look at academic performance as a single component while determining which scholarships to offer incoming students. The main takeaway is this: There is a lot of scholarship money out there for incoming students.
Whether your student is looking to prep for the PSAT, improve their ACT or SAT score, or put their best foot forward in their college admissions materials, The Enrichery provides the resources they need to open up scholarship opportunities. Contact us today to learn more!
