National Merit Scholarship Program

[eeyoreandtink]

Based on your previous posts, I was agreeing with you, but I am confused by this one. My children received merit scholarships from schools with no financial aid application at all. We did not even bother to fill out the FAFSA for the last 2 because we knew they did not qualify for financial aid.

then your school isn't taking federal funds to provide those merit awards.

 

[Mickeypooh99]

The "national" part of this is a joke, IMO. Each state has a score, and some are so low it's crazy, some are so high it's crazy. DD#2 was a commended student in our state, would have won the prize if we moved to the next state over from us (which is less than a mile away from our house!)

I didn't even realize it was different by state! That seems unfair. Like OP, we are also waiting for September to see if my son makes it. Based on the cut off predictions, he has a chance at least. I wonder why it takes so long to find out.

 

[IDoDis]

Based on your previous posts, I was agreeing with you, but I am confused by this one. My children received merit scholarships from schools with no financial aid application at all. We did not even bother to fill out the FAFSA for the last 2 because we knew they did not qualify for financial aid.

Is this a public university or is it private with a fat endowment? My DD's school and another school she had applied to both awarded her with presidential scholarships in February of her senior year with no knowledge of our financial situation. The scholarships had to be applied for with separate scholarship applications weren't generated automatically solely based on GPA and ACT although they played a part in the qualification process. I had to fill out a FAFSA by June 1st and she started school in August. Half of her scholarship money (for all of the presidential scholars) is funded by one donor per scholar and the other half is paid for through state lottery ticket sales. DD has to write a thank you letter to her donor each year and the university has a luncheon once a year where the donors eat with their scholarship recipients. DD hasn't been able to meet her donor in person, but she knows he is a doctor in Simi Valley, CA.

So while her merit scholarship is based on merit and not on income, we still have to submit a FAFSA by June 1st each year. If you don't have to do a FASFA, the money is probably coming from private donors to the school.

 

[DisneyOma]

You're continually evolving your story in order to argue. Good day.

And once again my original post said some. One counter example achieved by evolving one's story doesn't negate it. good day.

Evolving - you mean explaining, right? Good day to you too