Can Average Students Get Scholarships? How to Unlock Hidden Opportunities

Every year, students brace for the scholarship race, thinking it’s only for the superstars. They imagine you need a wall of trophies or perfect grades to ever see a dollar in financial aid. But here’s the thing: there’s a much bigger world out there for those of us who live closer to the middle of the grade scale. When my son Augustine asked me if he’d ever get a scholarship because his grades weren’t top-notch, I had to dig in. What amazed me was just how much these opportunities get overlooked by average students—just because they don’t think they qualify. And honestly, that’s a mistake that’s holding back thousands of kids every single year.

The Big Myth: Only the Best Students Win Scholarships

From the moment kids enter high school, they hear about scholarships like they’re some magical prize that only the absolute best students, athletes, or artists can win. It’s the biggest scholarship myth that’s still going strong in 2025. But the real data tells a different story. According to the National Scholarship Providers Association, nearly 85% of scholarships consider criteria beyond just grades or test scores. Yes, you heard that right. That’s not a typo. Average students—kids with B or C averages, students who’ve made mistakes, learners who’ve struggled with a tough class or two—still land scholarship awards across the U.S. What matters more often is what else you bring to the table.

Think about all the criteria that pop up: community service, leadership in clubs, perseverance, hobbies, work experience, even quirky talents. There are scholarships just for left-handed students, kids who volunteer at animal shelters, children of veterans, grocery store employees, and even those who make a killer peanut butter sandwich (no joke: that’s the Jif Most Creative Sandwich Contest).

Let’s point to a couple of blunt facts:

• Fastweb, a major scholarship database, lists over 1.5 million scholarships. Half don’t even ask for a GPA on the first page.
• The Coca-Cola Scholars Program, one of the best-known awards, hands out 150 scholarships a year but thousands who don’t have perfect grades get them thanks to leadership, community involvement, or unique personal stories.
• According to Sallie Mae’s 2024 “How America Pays for College” report, 79% of families used scholarships, yet only 16% of those students had straight As.

So, it’s clear: you don’t need a resume that screams perfection. You need persistence, creativity, and the willingness to put yourself out there. And sometimes the courage to apply when you feel like you might not be ‘enough’—because the truth is, you probably are.

Finding Scholarships That Value More Than Grades

Here’s where things get interesting. If you’re average—or, like I tell Augustine, normal—your job is to find scholarships that want something different. Dig past the big names that get all the press. Instead of focusing on huge national awards with thousands of applicants, look local and niche. Community organizations, local businesses, clubs, unions, and even small religious groups all hand out funds every year. And guess what? Tons of these have few applicants or go totally unnoticed.

Let’s get practical about this process. Start by looking at your town or region. Ask your high school guidance counselor for a list of local awards—these are the gems that fly under the radar. Many local rotary clubs, PTAs, small companies, credit unions, and places of worship reserve scholarships specifically for their own communities. It’s not uncommon for these awards to never get enough applicants, so sometimes just showing up puts you in the top few candidates.

Then there’s the matter of niche interests. Are you into model trains? There’s a Train Collectors Association scholarship. Passionate about bowling? There’s money for that! Disabled students, first-generation college-bound students, kids who speak more than one language at home, foster kids—there’s a scholarship somewhere. The point is to match what makes you or your family unique to a pile of awards nobody else is thinking about.

Here’s a table showing just how varied some scholarships are (and none require top academic performance):

None of the above require over-the-top grades. They want story, personality, and passion—you’ve got that in spades, whether you believe it or not.

Bigger money can be found at the state and federal levels too. The Federal Pell Grant doesn’t take grades into account—only financial need, and this grant gives you up to $7,395 for the 2024-2025 school year. Some states offer tuition waivers to certain groups: children of first responders in Maine, for example, or students aging out of foster care in Texas.

Average often means overlooked, and that’s exactly what makes you competitive for these types of scholarships. Less competition equals better odds, period.

Tips for Standing Out When You’re Not at the Top

So let’s say you’re ready to get into the scholarship game, but you’re worried your grades won’t open the door. Here’s what to do.

1. Show what makes you different. The best way to catch an application reader’s attention isn’t listing what you lack—it’s telling the story only you can tell. Maybe you worked a job to support your family. Maybe you started a podcast about mental health. Maybe you failed chemistry twice but volunteered all summer teaching kids how to swim. Authenticity trumps perfection; judges read thousands of essays, so honesty jumps off the page.
2. Stack your activities. You don’t have to be president of everything. Stick to two or three things you love, dive deep, and explain how they shaped you. Did you help your neighbor every week? That’s community service. Did you coach soccer at your little brother’s school? That’s leadership.
3. Let your letters of recommendation work for you. Ask teachers, bosses, or community leaders who know your story of growth and grit. They can explain the ups and downs you’ve had, what you learned, and what makes you a great risk for investment.
4. Keep a spreadsheet of deadlines and requirements. Missed deadlines are the fastest scholarship-killer. Apps like Scholly, myscholly.com, or even Google Sheets help you plan ahead. Apply early and often.
5. Apply for lots of small scholarships. Everyone goes for the big names, but the $500 and $1,000 awards add up fast. Augustine won a $1,000 award for an essay about his favorite book—on a list with less than 50 applicants. Stack up enough of those, and you’re on your way to a good chunk of tuition.
6. Recycle your essays. Most scholarship applications ask similar questions: your biggest challenge, your proudest achievement, what you want to do with your life. Write a few ‘master essays’ and then tweak them as you apply to multiple places. Saves time and takes the stress down a notch.
7. Check requirements for technical and trade scholarships. Four-year colleges aren’t the only route. Trade and vocational scholarships often skip academic requirements in favor of hands-on skills or commitment to your craft.

How do average students usually do in the scholarship game? According to a study from Cappex in 2024, students with a 2.8 GPA or lower actually had slightly higher participation rates in applying for non-academic scholarships than their straight-A classmates—mostly because they knew academic awards weren’t a sure thing. That hustle pays off: about 26% of students with below-average GPAs still earned at least one type of private scholarship, according to Cappex’s latest survey.

Don’t skip over government aid, either. Every year, millions of dollars in grants go unclaimed because students assume they won’t qualify. Fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) anyway. Hundreds of scholarships simply require you prove you applied for aid—even if you don’t end up taking out loans.

If you treat the scholarship search like a part-time job and work an hour or two each week, you can easily submit a dozen or more applications per month. And you don’t have to do it alone: many schools now offer after-school “scholarship clubs,” and some libraries hold weekly sessions to help with applications.

The point is, scholarships are about much more than just grades. They’re about your story, your work ethic, and your willingness to take a shot. If you’re average, maybe it’s time to see that as your edge. For every ‘star student’ applying to the big-name awards, there are countless local and niche opportunities waiting to be discovered by someone just like you. You’d be shocked what a well-written essay and a little initiative can unlock.