The popular NM partner colleges don’t seem to care about residency although the total “extra” package may differ for in-state or out of state. The official NM Scholar portion from the NM partner college is likely to be identical no matter which state the student is from, although it’s best to check with each college the student likes. From the sampling of NM partner company award requirements I’ve read - admittedly not many, maybe 40-50 descriptions - most were meant for children of employees and I didn’t see any mention of state residency consideration. The NMSC-sponsored awards are probably tricky for students in OOS boarding schools and for US citizens in international locations. Those awards are the least transparent IMO. It’s not just that they are competitive and it’s unclear how much NMSC weighs the different portions of the application; there’s also the additional mystery about how the awards are geographically parceled.
DS is planning to wait on a couple of competitive scholarships at the University of Louisville before he makes a decision between there and U of Kentucky. The U of L scholarships have long odds but he is definitely competitive. If he doesn’t get one of them, he will most likely be going to U of K on the Patterson scholarship for NMF (assuming he makes the NMF cut).
The U of L scholarships don’t even have their interviews until late February.
Could he end up missing out on a U of K sponsored award if he doesn’t make U of K his first choice before March 1? He choose undecided when he competed the NMF application.
One more week down. One month to go. I’m going to camp out on my D’s principal’s doorstep till he buckles and gives us the news.
@Phlipper Sounds like a plan! 
Would it be too pushy to email both my principal and the counselor in charge of NM stuff, reminding them to tell me if any finalist info comes through? I’m very anxious along with the rest of you and don’t want to miss anything!! Perhaps when we go back after break (Jan 16) or when NMSC sends schools notifications (Feb5)?
Senate Passes Permanent Expansion of Bright Futures Scholarship Program
The legislation would also expand the Benacquisto Scholarship awards, which provide the full cost of attendance, to recruit out-of-state National Merit Scholar award winners.
Wow, so will this be in effect for our 2018-2019 freshmen?
“Would it be too pushy to email both my principal and the counselor in charge of NM stuff, reminding them to tell me if any finalist info comes through? I’m very anxious along with the rest of you and don’t want to miss anything!! Perhaps when we go back after break (Jan 16) or when NMSC sends schools notifications (Feb5)?”
It’s not pushy at all. If your kid needs to specify a school by 3/1 then it’s very helpful to know for sure before that date. Your school will probably have that info. by about Feb. 10th (everything is sent regular mail) and the finalist by about the third week. Pres. Day is in there somewhere which can delay things. You can let the school know that your D wants to be on that first list of names as those NM-specific scholarships go quickly! (that’s what NMSC has told me, at any rate). Schools also might require that the name be on the list by 3/1, although that varies by school.
If you haven’t received a ding letter by early Feb. you are going to be safe (barring weird mail behavior in your area). Still, it’s nice to know for sure.
yes!
My understanding is that this still needs to pass in the Florida House, but likely will. Any idea when that vote will happen?
Not sure, they are considering it now.
@LOUKYDAD You should ask the timing question of UK. I want to say that last year, kids needed to list UK as first choice for NM by April 1st. I looked on the UK website but cannot find any info about it. Some schools do not require selection to be made on March 1. I thought I remember seeing something to the effect that colleges do not even see the list of who has listed them #1 until March 15th. But again I would check with UK.
Last year my daughter was looking at Michigan State as well as UK. MSU had less certainty with its NM scholarships (list us as #1 by a date certain and you are eligible for up to $x–when I asked no one could provide any assurance as to what the award would be-- seems to me it was something like a lottery ticket and you may win but may not and in the meantime may miss out on what other schools would offer). UK scholarships were more certain. Big reason why she is at UK now (and the UK scholarship was also more in any event even of she got MSU’s max award).
This has probably been answered before, but I can’t find the info now, including on the NMSC website. Where is there a current list of colleges that sponsor awards?
@TTdd16 Try this: https://www.nationalmerit.org/s/1758/images/gid2/editor_documents/merit_sponsor_leaflet.pdf?gid=2&pgid=61
It becomes law when signed hopefully March???
Effective Date: Upon becoming a law
https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2018/00004
I’ve been following it for 2 years and I have no idea when it hits the House!
(extending coverage of the Benacquisto Scholarship Program to include tuition and fees for qualified nonresident students) The Benacquisto Full Ride for out of state NMF to the Florida Colleges that participate in NMSP. It should make it by 2018-2019. It covers a true Full Ride to UF FSU UCF USF and the same $ amount to UM.
The Benacquisto Scholarship Program is created to
reward any high school graduate who receives
recognition as a National Merit Scholar or National Achievement Scholar and who initially enrolls in the 2014-2015
or, later, in a baccalaureate degree program at an eligible Florida public or independent postsecondary educational institution.
(4) In order to be eligible for an award under the scholarship program, a student must meet the requirements of paragraph (a) or paragraph (b). A student who initially enrolls in a baccalaureate degree program in the 2018-2019 academic year or later and who is not a resident of this state, as determined in s. 1009.40 and 781 rules of the State Board of Education, must:
. An eligible student who meets the requirements under paragraph (4)(b), who is a National Merit Scholar, and who attends a Florida public postsecondary educational institution shall receive a scholarship award equal to the institutional … cost of attendance… for a resident of this state minus the student’s National Merit Scholarship. Such student is… exempt … from the payment of out-of-state fees.
FSUdad - Any idea whether the scholarship is guaranteed once accepted, or if it is subject to the annual budget process? If it’s the latter, if the program is not funded, not fully funded, or flat out terminated while the student is still in school, is the student SOL, or do the institutions make good? It would be tragic to make an enrollment decision based on this scholarship, have the program terminated junior year, and have UF say “sorry, it’s not our money and there is nothing we can do for you!” I know some shcools grandfather students in, such as Oklahoma, when they make changes, but if it’s not spelled out in the legislation, I doubt one can hold a state to an implied promise. Thoughts?
@iahomeschoolmom, thank you so much.
Again, I’m going to apologize if this has been answered elsewhere, but I’m still confused about strategy related to which college to list as the first choice (all assuming she makes it to the finalist level, of course.)
Right now, my daughter has listed a college that offers NM scholarships as her first choice. However, it’s quite unlikely she would wind up attending there-she’s already been admitted to her current first choice that has offered her a large scholarship. They don’t do NM scholarships. She’d still like to be considered for the one-time $2,500 scholarship. Should she change her college choice to undecided? Does it even matter?