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Life After ‘F’: How to Raise Your GPA in High School if You’ve Failed a Course

Posted on April 25 2025

A good GPA (grade point average) can be your key to being accepted into a great college, so what happens when a failing grade places that in jeopardy? While overcoming an ‘F’ may seem like a huge hurdle, you can take a number of practical steps to get your grades back on track.

Strong grades lead to more options for college, scholarship offers, and internships that can give you a head start in an exciting career. With the help of a support system, you can take action and discover how to raise your GPA in high school — and not let one ‘F’ have the final say.

Why Overcoming a Failing Grade Matters

Before looking at the reasons why you should overcome a failing grade, it’s important to recognize that low grades are often the result of outside factors.

A student may not have enough time to do homework because they have to care for their siblings. Students who hold jobs to help support their family may become fatigued or overwhelmed. A lack of reliable transportation can make getting to school difficult. Many circumstances can make it difficult to do well in school, and getting a bad grade is nothing to be ashamed of.

However, improving a low GPA is an important element when applying to college.

GPAs help admissions teams make decisions because they are a gauge of the following key admission factors.

Demonstration of academic skills
Predictor of college preparedness
Evidence of a diverse skill set

By raising your GPA, you’re signaling your future college success. A study conducted by the University of Chicago shows students with a GPA of 3.75 or higher have an 80% chance of graduating college, while students with a 1.5 or lower GPA have around a 20% graduation rate.

Raising your grade point average can also improve your scholarship opportunities. Colleges and other outside grant resources look at GPAs to determine which applicants receive scholarships. With the rising cost of education, scholarships provide valuable financial assistance that can help cover tuition and living expenses.

Tips for Raising Your GPA

How can students raise their GPA in high school? First, it’s helpful to understand how and why good grades contribute to a higher GPA.

Each grade is assigned a value. The traditional scale assigns each A grade four points, each B grade three points, and so on, with an F having a point value of zero. Your GPA is a calculation of the sum of your earned grades divided by the number of classes you took during a semester.

For example, if you took five classes, and received one A, three C’s, and one F, the sum of your earned grades would be 4 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 0 = 10, divided by the number of classes, or 5. Your GPA in this case would be 2.0.

Taking one or more of the following steps can help you get higher grades and raise your GPA.

Hire a Tutor

Tutors usually work independently or for an academic organization and can coach you in subjects where you need additional support. They can guide you through homework assignments and give extra exercises that are designed to increase your comprehension.

Find a Support System

Getting a failing grade can feel overwhelming. With the help of a strong support system, you can successfully meet this challenge. A support system might include parents, teachers, tutors, mentors, relatives, or friends—anyone who can offer support and help keep you motivated as you work to overcome this challenge.

Re-Evaluate Your Course Load

Failing grades can sometimes be the result of taking too many classes and not having enough time or energy to devote to studies. Overachieving students who are taking multiple AP classes might consider reducing their number of advanced placement courses if they’re finding it difficult to keep up their grades. Other students may benefit from taking fewer classes, so long as they’re meeting credit requirements to graduate on time.

Enroll in Summer School

Summer school is often misunderstood as negative. In reality, summer school gives you a great opportunity to retake a course so you won’t fall behind. Summer school curriculums are usually intensive because they are condensed to fit material from an entire semester into four or six weeks. It’s a good idea to be realistic with yourself about the effort involved in handling a semester’s worth of material packed into a short summer session.

Another tactic you can use to boost your GPA is to take extra course credits during summer school. By taking classes that are fun and engaging, you can earn high marks and increase your overall grade point average. Keep in mind that some schools have limits on how many credits can be attempted each semester, so check with your guidance counselor to see if this option could work for you.

Take Online Classes

How can taking online classes raise your GPA in high school? Students can look into the possibility of retaking a class online. With an improved performance, they can then cancel out a failing grade.

You have many options when it comes to online schools. To narrow it down, you should weigh the following factors:

Accreditation. Look for online schools that have regional or national accreditation.
Budget. Private online schools offer more extensive curriculums than public schools, but they usually charge higher tuition fees. Ask schools if they have payment plans or scholarships opportunities.
Pros and Cons. Consider how the learning environments of online schools and traditional high schools align with your needs. For example, online schools don’t offer as many social opportunities, but classes can be taken at whatever time is convenient for you.

To make the most of online classes, students should apply certain strategies to their online education.

Speak With a Guidance Counselor

Before signing up for any classes, speak with your school's guidance counselor to review the course syllabus of the online school. Each school has different curriculum standards, so approval from a guidance counselor is the best way to ensure the course aligns with your school’s requirements.

Practice Time-Management Skills

Fitting an extra class into an already full schedule is not easy, but by being organized and making efficient use of their time, students can readily achieve this goal. The flexible format of online classes often enables students to set their own schedules. Highly focused students will find it easier to make the most out of these classes by completing their curriculum and improving on their failing grade.

Find Classes to Improve Your Grades

Given that GPAs are a top consideration in college admissions, give yourself the opportunity to elevate your grades and take a step toward your goals. Online education, such as The American Academy’s Individual Courses, offers a variety of accredited high school classes, providing students with a fresh start to improve their educational outcome and their GPA.