Scholarship Providers Lead Way in Measuring Character, 'Moxie'

By Eric Hoover

Los Angeles

There are no scales for weighing character, no calculators for computing grit. One cannot affix a decimal point to leadership skills.

Nonetheless, thousands of college students who receive private scholarships each year are rewarded for such qualities. Most scholarship providers, especially those that serve low-income and first-generation students, have long looked beyond grades and test scores. Now, many organizations are developing—and refining—assessments of