Weighted GPA and Scholarships: Which Awards Use Which Number

Scholarship eligibility depends on which GPA number is on file, and different awards use different numbers. Knowing which is which can be the difference between qualifying and not.

Awards that typically use weighted GPA

• State merit scholarships (Bright Futures, HOPE, etc.) — most use weighted.
• Local scholarships from community organizations — usually weighted as reported on transcript.
• School-based scholarships — almost always weighted (since class rank is weighted).

Awards that typically use unweighted GPA

• National Merit-style competitive scholarships — usually use a recomputed standardized number.
• Institutional merit aid at selective colleges — almost always unweighted.
• NCAA athletic eligibility — unweighted core-course GPA.

Check the application carefully

Most scholarship applications specify weighted or unweighted. When it doesn't, default to reporting both numbers and labeling them clearly. Misrepresenting weighted as unweighted can disqualify you.

Maintenance GPAs

Renewable college scholarships specify whether you need to maintain a weighted or unweighted GPA in college. Most use unweighted (since college GPA isn't weighted), but a few transferable high-school awards specify weighted. Read the renewal terms before your first college semester.

Track both

Use the calculator to maintain both weighted and unweighted GPAs throughout high school. When scholarship season arrives, you'll know which awards you qualify for instantly without rebuilding the math under deadline pressure.