Dell Scholars Program
Before you spend hours on this
Will this scholarship actually lower your cost?
Not always. Many colleges reduce your financial-aid package when you win an outside scholarship — sometimes dollar-for-dollar — so the money can end up saving the school instead of you. It's called scholarship displacement. Two free tools tell you where you actually stand:
General guidance, not financial advice — your school's financial aid office is the only authority on how they treat outside awards. Always confirm with them before deciding.
Best fit for
Low-income, first-gen, or otherwise-disadvantaged students currently in an approved college-readiness program with a story of overcoming serious challenges to get to college.
What they actually look for
Dell SPECIFICALLY wants kids who've overcome serious adversity. The 1.2 GPA floor is a signal — they look at trajectory and grit, not transcript prestige. The college-readiness program requirement is the real filter (most low-income kids without one are gently redirected to other awards). If you're in AVID or KIPP, this is worth real effort.
What you'll need
- 1.2 minimum GPA (this is the actual published floor — they want kids who PERSISTED in tough circumstances, not high-GPA kids)
- Pell Grant eligibility / demonstrated financial need
- Plan to attend a 4-yr accredited college
- Participation in a Dell-approved college-readiness program (AVID, College Possible, KIPP, GEAR UP, Upward Bound, and ~30 others)
- Multiple essays about your specific obstacles + how you've worked through them
When to start
October-November of senior year. Application opens early November, due December 1.
Watch out for
If you're NOT in one of the approved college-readiness programs, you're not eligible. Don't waste time on the application — your guidance counselor can tell you whether your high school participates. Also: the program continues to support you THROUGH college (laptop, textbooks, emergency funds) — way more value than the $20K headline number suggests.