How to find and apply for SAT and ACT scholarships

Most scholarships based on SAT or ACT scores come from colleges themselves, as automatic merit awards that pair a GPA minimum with score ranges, plus a smaller number from state programs and the National Merit Scholarship Program, which starts with the PSAT/NMSQT. To find them, check each college’s merit scholarship page and your state’s financial aid agency, then apply by the scholarship deadline and send official scores in the format the program requires.

This guide shows where the money comes from, what the requirements actually look like, and how to apply without missing a deadline.

Where SAT and ACT scholarships come from

Score-based scholarships fall into four groups:

• College merit scholarships. The biggest source by far. Many colleges, especially public universities and private colleges outside the most selective tier, publish tables that turn a GPA and an SAT or ACT score into a guaranteed yearly award.
• State scholarships. Some states fund awards for residents who reach set score and GPA levels and attend college in-state.
• The National Merit Scholarship Program. Juniors enter by taking the PSAT/NMSQT, and Semifinalists later need an SAT or ACT score to advance.
• Outside scholarships. Foundations, companies and community groups. Fewer use scores as a hard cutoff, but some do, and search tools let you filter by score.

The most selective colleges, including the Ivy League, offer little or no merit aid; their aid is need-based. If merit money matters to your family, the colleges where your scores put you well above the typical admitted student are where it’s concentrated. Our expert interview on targeting academic-fit schools for scholarships covers how to build that list.

Automatic merit scholarships at colleges

An automatic merit scholarship means you’re considered just by applying for admission by a set date. There’s often no separate application or essay. The University of Alabama’s out-of-state freshman scholarships for students entering in 2027 are a clear example. Each requires at least a 3.50 GPA, and the yearly values are:

• Crimson Legends: 25–26 ACT or 1200–1250 SAT, $6,000 per year
• Capstone: 27 ACT or 1260–1290 SAT, $8,000 per year
• Collegiate: 28 ACT or 1300–1320 SAT, $10,000 per year
• Foundation in Excellence: 29 ACT or 1330–1350 SAT, $15,000 per year
• UA Scholar: 30–31 ACT or 1360–1410 SAT, $24,000 per year
• Presidential: 32–36 ACT or 1420–1600 SAT, $28,000 per year
• Presidential Elite: 36 ACT or 1600 SAT with a 4.0+ GPA, covering tuition for up to eight semesters plus first-year housing and other benefits

The fine print matters as much as the table. Alabama uses your composite or total score from a single test date and doesn’t superscore for scholarships. It accepts only official scores sent by ACT or College Board, so if you self-reported scores to apply, you still need to send official reports. For summer or fall 2027 entry, the application and official scores are due December 4, and GPA is counted through the end of junior year. Students who miss that priority deadline are considered only if funds remain.

How to find a college’s merit scholarships

1. Search the college’s financial aid or admissions site for "merit scholarships" or "freshman scholarships." Many have separate pages for residents and nonresidents.
2. Note whether awards are automatic or require a separate scholarship application, and whether an earlier deadline applies than the admission deadline.
3. Check the score policy: superscore or single sitting, official or self-reported scores, and the last test date accepted.
4. Read the renewal terms. Most awards renew only if you keep a minimum college GPA and stay enrolled full time.
5. Use the college’s net price calculator, but don’t assume it includes merit awards; compare it with the published merit table.

Superscoring policies for admission and for scholarships can differ at the same school, so confirm both. Our list of colleges that superscore the SAT and ACT is a starting point for the admission side.

State scholarships that use test scores

State programs can be worth more over four years than any single outside award, and they often accept the SAT, ACT and sometimes other tests. Florida’s Bright Futures program is one of the largest. According to the 2026–27 Bright Futures Student Handbook, the two main awards require:

• Florida Academic Scholars: a 3.50 weighted GPA in the required college-prep courses, 100 hours of volunteer service, paid work or a combination, and a score of 29 ACT, 95 CLT or 1330 SAT for 2026–27 graduates. For 2027–28 graduates, the score rises to 29 ACT, 96 CLT or 1350 SAT.
• Florida Medallion Scholars: a 3.00 weighted GPA, 75 volunteer hours or 100 paid or combined hours, and a score of 24 ACT, 82 CLT or 1190 SAT for 2026–27 graduates. For 2027–28 graduates, it’s 25 ACT, 83 CLT or 1200 SAT.

Bright Futures takes your best section scores from any sitting, so retaking can only help. You can test as many times as you like through August 31 of your graduation year, and you apply by submitting the Florida Financial Aid Application during senior year. When you register for the SAT, ACT or CLT, send your scores to one of Florida’s public colleges or state universities so the state receives them; on the ACT and CLT websites you can also select "Bright Futures" directly.

Other states have their own programs with different names, cutoffs and deadlines, and some require you to attend an in-state college. Your state’s higher education agency or financial aid office lists them, and your school counselor will know which ones local students win.

The National Merit Scholarship Program

National Merit starts with the PSAT/NMSQT, not the SAT, and only the test you take in your junior year counts for most students. According to the National Merit Scholarship Corporation’s steps in the competition, the 2028 competition runs like this:

• About 1.2 million entrants took the PSAT/NMSQT in October 2026 as juniors.
• About 50,000 high scorers qualify for recognition, based on their Selection Index (calculated from the Reading and Writing and Math section scores).
• About 34,000 Commended Students receive letters of commendation in late September of senior year but don’t continue in the competition.
• About 16,000 Semifinalists, the highest-scoring entrants in each state, are notified in early September of senior year.
• About 15,000 Finalists are named the following February.

To become a Finalist, a Semifinalist has to complete an application with an essay, have a consistently very high academic record, be endorsed and recommended by a school official, and take the SAT or ACT and earn a score that confirms their PSAT/NMSQT performance. That’s where your SAT or ACT score comes in.

About 6,700 National Merit Scholarships are then awarded to Finalists, along with about 620 Special Scholarships from corporate sponsors, according to NMSC’s page on types of scholarships:

• National Merit $2500 Scholarships: 2,500 one-time awards of $2,500, distributed by state. Every Finalist is considered.
• Corporate-sponsored scholarships: usually for children of employees, residents of certain communities, or students with particular career plans. They range from one-time payments of $2,500 to $10,000 to renewable awards of $1,000 to $10,000 a year.
• College-sponsored scholarships: about 3,500 awards from roughly 140 sponsor colleges, renewable for four years at $500 to $2,000 a year. You must be admitted and must tell NMSC that the sponsor college is your first choice.

No student can receive more than one monetary award from NMSC. Separately, some colleges offer their own, larger packages to National Merit Finalists or Semifinalists, and Alabama lists National Merit scholarships alongside its score-based awards. Those are set by each college, so check its current page. To see how your PSAT relates to the SAT, read what your PSAT score means for the SAT.

Outside scholarships with score requirements

Outside scholarships are worth pursuing, but most weigh essays, activities and recommendations more heavily than scores. Where to look:

• ACT’s scholarship resources. ACT’s free college scholarships page lists scholarships you can filter by ACT score and suggests checking college sites and state programs.
• Scholarship search sites. Build a complete profile, including your scores, and filter by score where the site allows it.
• Local sources. Community foundations, employers, civic groups and your school’s counseling office often have smaller awards with far fewer applicants.
• College Board’s BigFuture Scholarship. It’s a drawing for completing college-planning steps, not a score-based award. See whether BigFuture Scholarships are worth it.

You should never have to pay to apply for a scholarship or to get a list of them. Treat any fee as a warning sign.

When a scholarship asks for official scores, check whether it has an SAT or ACT recipient code. Each weekend SAT registration includes four free score sends to colleges or other organizations, which you can choose or change until nine days after the test, and ACT registration includes reports to up to four colleges if you list them when you register. After that, each report costs a fee.

A step-by-step plan for applying

1. Take the PSAT/NMSQT in October of junior year. It’s your only entry into National Merit and a good preview of your SAT score.
2. Take the SAT or ACT by spring of junior year or early in senior year. That leaves time to retest before scholarship deadlines, which can fall as early as November or December.
3. Build a tracker. For each college or program, record the award, GPA and score cutoffs, residency rules, superscore policy, official-score rules, scholarship deadline and renewal terms.
4. Compare your scores with each tier. If you’re a few points below a cutoff, a retest may be worth more than any outside scholarship.
5. Apply by the scholarship deadline, not the admission deadline. Many automatic awards require an early application; some colleges also require a separate scholarship application.
6. Send official scores early. Allow time for score reports to arrive, and confirm the college received them.
7. Finish any required essays and recommendations. Competitive college scholarships and National Merit both ask for them.
8. Read your award letter. Confirm the amount, whether it renews, and the GPA you need to keep it.

If your score is just below a cutoff

You have a few options:

• Retest before the deadline. Find out the last test date each scholarship accepts. Programs that combine your best section scores across sittings, like Bright Futures, reward targeted retakes.
• Look at schools where you’re above average. The same score can earn a much bigger award at a college where it’s near the top of the applicant pool.
• Ask about updated scores. Some colleges re-evaluate merit awards when new official scores arrive before a set date. Ask the scholarship office directly, and get the answer in writing.

Test-optional doesn’t mean scholarship-optional

Many colleges are test-optional for admission but still use scores for merit aid, and some award their score-based scholarships only to students who submit official scores. Others award merit aid on GPA alone. Read each college’s scholarship rules separately from its admission policy; if you have a score that helps you clear a scholarship tier, it’s usually worth sending. For an expert view on using scores to earn more merit aid, see how to multiply merit aid with smart SAT score strategies.

Key takeaways

• Most SAT and ACT scholarships are college merit awards tied to GPA and score ranges, and many are automatic when you apply by the scholarship deadline.
• Read the fine print: superscore or single sitting, official scores, deadlines that come before regular decision, and renewal terms.
• State programs such as Florida’s Bright Futures set score and GPA minimums for residents and can be worth more than outside awards.
• National Merit starts with the junior-year PSAT/NMSQT; Semifinalists need a confirming SAT or ACT score to become Finalists.
• If you’re close to a cutoff, a retest before the deadline can be worth thousands of dollars a year.