$500 Apiece Paid To Almost 100 Students Who Improved Their GPAs

PINELLAS COUNTY, FL — It pays to have good grades. Literally. Eighty-eight Pinellas County students were recently paid $500 apiece for increasing their GPAs by the end of the school year, WTSP reported.

Boca Ciega High School and Lakewood High School ninth-graders were among the almost 100 students who each received a cash prize for better grades, the TV station reported. This was achieved through the "Paid for Grades" program, a non-profit organization that helps students bring up their grades with tutoring and other educational resources.

Students who successfully complete the program receive a cash-reward, the organization said on its website. A Boca Ciega student had a .8 GPA at the start of the school year, and through the program pulled it up to a 3.5 GPA, the TV station reported.

"Paid for Grades" is a semester-long program offered at participating high schools in Pinellas County. The organization is in partnership with the Pinellas Education Foundation, and is supported by local businesses in the Tampa Bay area.

For more information about the program, visit Paid For Grades Incentive Program.