Scholarships Test-Optional FAQ
IU Bloomington is committed to making merit scholarship opportunities available to students who qualify, whether they apply with or without test scores. Learn more about our process below.
IU Bloomington is committed to making merit scholarship opportunities available to students who qualify, whether they apply with or without test scores. Learn more about our process below.
No. All students who submit a complete application for admission by the November 1 early action (non-binding) deadline will be considered for both IU Academic Scholarship and Selective Scholarship Application eligibility.
The assessment of a student’s academic performance is based on a number of factors, including high school GPA, grades received in coursework required by the Office of Admissions, and rigor and performance in advanced courses (AP, IB, Honors, etc.).
While we have shared the factors used in admission and scholarship review processes (see above), the actual scoring and eligibility criteria are not public-facing and are considered internal IU information.
No. A student’s application is used for both admission and scholarship consideration, and scholarship eligibility is based solely on performance in academic coursework.
As part of IU’s holistic review, all factors of your application are considered, with the greatest emphasis placed on your grades earned in academic coursework, including performance in higher level, college preparatory courses. Understanding that high schools around the country offer a variety of different types of courses, this review may include honors, dual-credit, International Baccalaureate, and Advanced Placement courses. Strong performance in these higher level courses could benefit a student’s potential admissions and scholarship eligibility, however applicants will not be disadvantaged if they have not enrolled in or had access to these courses.
Students who receive an IU Academic Scholarship will be notified in their acceptance packet from the Office of Admissions.
Students who qualify to complete the Selective Scholarship Application will be notified both in their admission notification and through additional SSA communications from the Office of Scholarships.
Due to high application volume, please note that letters are not sent specifically stating that a student failed to qualify for a scholarship. Only those who earn an IU Academic Scholarship will be notified directly.
The reported high school GPA is just one of many factors utilized in the holistic assessment of an applicant’s academic performance. IU’s review process considers multiple elements in determining a student’s admission and scholarship eligibility. While a high GPA is very important, lesser performance in other academic areas could negatively impact a student’s scholarship assessment and result in either a reduced award or failure to qualify.
IU uses a number of factors in reviewing a student’s academic performance. This performance assessment determines if a student qualifies for an IU Academic Scholarship, and if so, the corresponding funding amount is awarded for that level of performance. Additionally, the top amounts in the award ranges are highly competitive and limited to a very select group of students based on available funding. Those select awards will be made to students in late January 2021 based on previously offered IU Academic Scholarships and the highest levels of academic performance.