Scholarships For Merit: 10 Most Important Things To Know

Scholarships for merit or merit-based scholarships are primarily targeted at people with special abilities: top performances or talents.

Merit-based scholarships are also be awarded to students with excellent academic performances from high school, extracurricular activities ( athletic merits ), artistic excellence, etc.

Unlike the need-based scholarships, scholarships for merit do not look at the EFC ( Expected Family Contribution) which is used to calculate the amount of aid you deserve.

Just as the name suggests, merit scholarships imply that you worked extra hard in your field of endeavor than the average student, so you deserve ( merit) it. Some of these scholarships can be full-ride or just one-time awards of cash depending on the awarder’s policy.

Things To Know About Scholarships Of Merit Or Merit Scholarships.

Out-Of-State Students Get More Of Merit Aid Than In State

Out-of-State students – which includes international students – are targeted with merit scholarships more than in-state students.

According to the US new by 340 ranked public institutions, the average amount of merit scholarship awarded to out-of-state students is $8,786. And the average compared to in-state students is just half of that – $4,881. Both of the 2020/2021 academic years.

In-State And Out-Of-State Students Have Similar Chances Of Getting Merit Scholarships.

35% of Out Of State students received merit scholarships per a report from the 340 ranked public colleges in the US.

32% of in-state students receive received the said aid per 345 ranked public colleges that reported this information.

Though the scholarship of merit or merit aid is heavily won by out-of-state students, the chances of winning for the two groups of students are typically the same.

Awardees May Need To Maintain A Certain GPA.

Some non-need-based aids are subject to change on certain conditions to maintain the rolling of the award every year.

Most of the time, it is the GPA ( Grade Point Average) requirement. Another requirement may include enrolling in and passing some courses, filling out and submitting an application form by a deadline, etc.

Awardees should always check the awarder’s financial aid offices to make sure that comprehend fully the merit aid they are being offered.

The Merit Scholarship Programs Offers Millions In Aid.

For 2022 alone, the organization behind this aid will support students with about $40 million in 8,700 awards.

There are 3 types of awards under the National Merit Scholarship Program:

• National Merit Scholarship Of $2,500
• Corporate Sponsored Scholarships
• And College-Sponsored Merit Scholarship

Students must take the PSAT ( Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test) to set and enroll as high school students among other things to qualify.

Merit Aid Does Not Always Require You To Be A-Class Student.

Since it is by merit, you don’t have to be a class valedictorian to win scholarship money.

According to experts, students with different varieties of GPAs can qualify for scholarships for merit, and also, many awards consider areas other than academics such as leadership, school involvement, extracurricular activities.

Extra-Curricular Activities Can Win You A Merit Scholarship

Other awards and aid such as athletic scholarships, extracurricular activities – theater arts, music, etc are part of the merit scholarship.

Students should consider all their interests, hobbies, volunteer activities, and even household chores as paths to a merit scholarship.

Good Leadership Qualities Can Win You A Merit Scholarship.

The University of California – Berkeley for instance, has leadership as one of the top criteria they use in awarding merit aids aside from academics and athletics.

Berkeley is just one example, some universities award merit aids to students with good leadership skills.

Colleges May Award Scholarship For Merit Base On Affiliation With Alumni

The University of Michigan – Ann Arbor reported that it awards merit-based on academics, alumni affiliation, art, athletics, leadership, music and drama, participation in Reserve Officers Training Corps, religious affiliation, and state and district residency.

So, on top of all other merits, affiliation with a past graduate of some colleges can land you merit aid.

Private Merit Awards Are Based On Certain Criteria.

Private merit awards have different criteria on which they are based.

They are often based on a written and submitted essay or application criteria that the granting organization outlined.

To find these types of criteria-based aids, students can search on sites like Unigo and the US News scholarship finder.

Ivy Leagues Universities Don’t Offer Merit Aid.

The eight research universities in the Northeastern United States namely; Havard University, Yale University, Princeton University, Columbian State University, Brown University, Dartmouth College, Pennsylvania University, and Cornell University formed the Ivy League schools and they don’t offer merit aid.

They are not the only school that doesn’t offer merit aids but a few other ones like MIT, Stanford, etc also don’t.

It doesn’t matter your academic performance, athletic achievements, or discovery, you will not receive merit aid from these selected schools.

Though they don’t offer merit aid, Ivy League schools are known to be generous with meeting full financial needs.

Among other things to know about the scholarships for merit, we believe these are very fundamental to know how it works and which colleges and universities you might land at.

Read: Merit Scholarships For athletes