I need a B to keep my scholarship — what do I need on the final?

Scholarship conditions are usually written as a GPA, not a course grade, so start by reading the exact wording. If this course has to finish at 83%, then from 79% with a final worth 25% you need a 95. A B-minus at 80 would need only 83, which is why the wording matters.

Your current grade%What the course says you have right now, before the final.What the final is worth% of the courseCheck the syllabus — this is the number people most often guess wrong.The grade you want%On the US scale that is B.

Grading system

Common plus/minus convention; many schools use straight letters or different cut points.

You need 95% on the final.

That is within reach — the final is worth 25% of your grade.

Best you can still finish with84.3%

Worst (a zero on the final)59.3%

Points already banked(75% of the course)59.3 of 100

🔢 Show the math

\text{needed} = \frac{\text{target} - \text{current} \times (1 - w)}{w}, \quad w = \frac{\text{final weight}}{100}

Work graded so far covers 75% of the course; 25% is still to come.
Points already banked: 79% × 75% = 59.25 points of the 100 available.
To finish at 83% you still need 23.75 points from the remaining 25%.
23.75 ÷ 25 × 100 = 95% on what is left.

What you need, at every current grade

With a final worth 25% of your course grade and a B (83% on a plus-minus scale) as the goal, this is the score you need on the final from each starting point:

Score needed on the final to reach a B (83% on a plus-minus scale), by current grade
Current grade	You need on the final	Reachable?
90%	62.0%	Yes
86%	74.0%	Yes
82%	86.0%	Yes
79%	95.0%	Yes
74%	110.0%	Not with this final alone
68%	128.0%	Not with this final alone

Grading scales vary by institution — your school's own table and syllabus govern. Conversions shown here follow common published conventions.

Frequently asked questions

Is my scholarship measured by course grade or GPA?

Almost always a GPA, either for the term or cumulative, and occasionally both with different thresholds. That distinction changes everything: one course finishing below the line can be offset by stronger results elsewhere in a GPA calculation, while a course-specific condition offers no such relief. The award letter is the source of record.

What happens if I fall below the threshold?

Most programmes suspend rather than revoke, placing you on a probationary term to recover the average, and many allow one such term across the life of the award. Others reduce the amount instead of withdrawing it. The consequences are set out in the terms you accepted, and financial-aid staff can confirm which applies.

When is the requirement checked?

Usually after final grades post for the term, occasionally once a year. Timing matters because it determines how much of the recovery has to happen in this exam rather than next term, and because an appeal filed before the review is considered differently from one filed after a decision is already recorded.

Does a credit load requirement apply too?

Frequently, and it is the condition students overlook. Many awards require a minimum number of credits attempted or completed as well as an average, so withdrawing from this course to protect the GPA can breach a different clause of the same agreement. Check both numbers before treating withdrawal as the safe option.

Other targets

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