No ACT needed for Alworth scholarships

With many ACT testing dates canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Alworth Foundation board of directors has determined that eligibility for scholarships will be based solely on a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher this year. “In previous years we’ve required both a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher and an ACT test score of 25 or higher for students to be considered for an Alworth scholarship, but it would be unfair to require a test score when many students have no opportunity to take the test,” said Patty Salo Downs, Alworth Foundation executive director. “The Jan. 15 deadline will be here soon, though, so we encourage students to begin working on their applications now.”

Students interested in pursuing a bachelor’s degree in mathematics or scientific fields of study may apply for an Alworth scholarship at http://www.AlworthScholarship.org. Funding is available to students in high schools, plus home schools, located in these 10 northern Minnesota counties: Aitkin, Beltrami, Carlton, Cass, Cook, Crow Wing, Lake, Itasca, Koochiching and St Louis.

Salo Downs said another consideration related to Covid-19 is that some high school seniors are considering waiting a year to start college, often referred to as “taking a gap year,” because they don’t want their education to be via online classes.

While Alworth allows for gap years, students still need to apply while they’re in school to be eligible for funding. In other words, current high school seniors seeking Alworth scholarships to begin school in Fall 2021 or Fall 2022 need to apply at the same time: by Jan. 15, 2021.