Navigating the world of college funding can be complex, but scholarships offer a fantastic way to reduce educational costs. This Scholarship Eligibility Estimator helps you get a preliminary idea of potential scholarship awards based on common factors like academic performance, family income, and the overall cost of attendance. While this tool provides an estimate, remember that actual scholarship awards depend on specific criteria set by institutions and organizations.
Enter your details and click 'Estimate Scholarship' to see your potential award.
function calculateScholarship() {
var gpa = parseFloat(document.getElementById('gpa').value);
var satScore = parseFloat(document.getElementById('satScore').value);
var familyIncome = parseFloat(document.getElementById('familyIncome').value);
var tuitionFees = parseFloat(document.getElementById('tuitionFees').value);
var roomBoard = parseFloat(document.getElementById('roomBoard').value);
var booksSupplies = parseFloat(document.getElementById('booksSupplies').value);
var otherAid = parseFloat(document.getElementById('otherAid').value);
if (isNaN(gpa) || isNaN(satScore) || isNaN(familyIncome) || isNaN(tuitionFees) || isNaN(roomBoard) || isNaN(booksSupplies) || isNaN(otherAid)) {
document.getElementById('scholarshipResult').innerHTML = "Please enter valid numbers for all fields.";
return;
}
// Ensure GPA is within 0-4.0 range
gpa = Math.max(0, Math.min(4.0, gpa));
// Ensure SAT score is within 400-1600 range
satScore = Math.max(400, Math.min(1600, satScore));
// 1. Calculate Total Cost of Attendance (COA)
var totalCostOfAttendance = tuitionFees + roomBoard + booksSupplies;
// 2. Calculate Unmet Need (COA – Other Aid)
var unmetNeed = totalCostOfAttendance – otherAid;
unmetNeed = Math.max(0, unmetNeed); // Unmet need cannot be negative
// 3. Calculate Merit-Based Component
var gpaFactor = gpa / 4.0; // Normalize GPA to 0-1
var satFactor = (satScore – 400) / 1200; // Normalize SAT (400-1600 range) to 0-1
// Weighted academic score (e.g., 70% GPA, 30% SAT)
var academicWeight = (gpaFactor * 0.7) + (satFactor * 0.3);
// Max potential merit award (e.g., $20,000 for perfect academic profile)
var maxMeritAward = 20000;
var meritAward = academicWeight * maxMeritAward;
// 4. Calculate Need-Based Component
// Income threshold where need-based aid starts to diminish significantly
var incomeThresholdForFullNeed = 50000; // Below this, higher need
var incomeThresholdForNoNeed = 150000; // Above this, very low/no need-based aid
var needFactor = 0;
if (familyIncome = incomeThresholdForNoNeed) {
needFactor = 0; // No need consideration
} else {
// Linear decrease between thresholds
needFactor = 1 – ((familyIncome – incomeThresholdForFullNeed) / (incomeThresholdForNoNeed – incomeThresholdForFullNeed));
}
needFactor = Math.max(0, Math.min(1, needFactor)); // Ensure factor is between 0 and 1
// Max potential need-based award (e.g., $15,000)
var maxNeedAward = 15000;
var needAward = needFactor * maxNeedAward;
// 5. Combine and Cap Scholarship
var estimatedScholarship = meritAward + needAward;
// The scholarship cannot exceed the unmet need
estimatedScholarship = Math.min(estimatedScholarship, unmetNeed);
// Ensure scholarship is not negative
estimatedScholarship = Math.max(0, estimatedScholarship);
document.getElementById('scholarshipResult').innerHTML = "Your Estimated Potential Scholarship Award: $" + estimatedScholarship.toFixed(2).replace(/\B(?=(\d{3})+(?!\d))/g, ",") + "";
}
Understanding Scholarship Factors
Scholarships are financial awards that do not need to be repaid, designed to help students cover the costs of higher education. They can be awarded based on a variety of criteria, broadly categorized into two main types:
Merit-Based Scholarships: These are awarded based on a student's academic achievements (like GPA and standardized test scores), talents (athletic, artistic), leadership skills, or community service. Our calculator uses GPA and SAT scores as key indicators for this component.
Need-Based Scholarships: These are awarded based on a student's financial need, determined by factors such as family income, assets, and the number of family members attending college. Our calculator considers your annual family income to estimate this portion.
How This Calculator Works
This estimator combines your academic profile with your financial situation and the total cost of attendance to provide a potential scholarship figure.
Academic Performance: Your GPA and SAT score contribute to a 'merit score,' which influences the merit-based portion of the estimated scholarship. Higher scores generally lead to a higher potential award.
Family Income: A lower family income typically indicates greater financial need, increasing the potential for need-based scholarship aid.
Cost of Attendance (COA): This includes tuition, fees, room, board, and books. The calculator first determines your 'unmet need' by subtracting any other grants or scholarships you've already received from the total COA. Your estimated scholarship will not exceed this unmet need.
Important Disclaimer
This Scholarship Eligibility Estimator provides a simplified approximation and should not be considered a guarantee of actual scholarship awards. Scholarship criteria vary widely among institutions and private organizations. Many scholarships also require essays, recommendations, interviews, or specific extracurricular involvement not captured by this tool. Always consult with financial aid offices and scholarship providers for precise information.