<p>I was struck by this statement from the OP:
I don’t know how many scholarships your son’s college gives out and what the exact requirements are, but that statement makes it seem that you are confusing the bare minimum required for eligibility with a high likelihood or guarantee of getting the award. And that, to me, seems like a misunderstanding of the process.</p>
<p>Let’s say there are 10 scholarships to give out and 100 applicants, and the scholarship is awarded only to students who have at least a 3.8 high school GPA and score of 30 on the ACT. If you look at the “requirements” as equating with getting the award, then it makes sense that someone might think that a kid with a 3.98 GPA and a 35 on the ACT is sure to win it… </p>
<p>but you have to keep in mind that in my example above, there are 100 kids competing for the scholarships, all of whom by definition have GPA’s and ACT scores above the minimum required. And it is very likely that, beyond those minimum requirements, the scholarship committee is looking at a lot of subjective factors, rather than grades or test scores. Financial need might be a factor – or demonstrated leadership – or the fact that a particular kid brings something that the school is looking for. </p>
<p>I don’t think there is more that you or your son could have done, other than to understand more fully that it is a competitive process. It is never something that you should have banked on getting.</p>
<p>Keep in mind that with the current financial situation, there’s a lot of belt tightening going on as well. If the college doesn’t guarantee to award a certain number of scholarships, they may simply be cutting back - maybe last year they could afford to offer 10 scholarship, and this year it is only 5.</p>