@TTdd16 - there really is no strategy, and pretty much everyone is making it way more complicated than it needs to be! Multiple posters have already noted that NMSC says it doesn’t look at first choice when awarding the $2500 scholarship, so that’s your answer. In your case, if your daughter is going to an non-NM school, it totally doesn’t matter what you have as your first choice. For others, there are two risks - (i) if you miss a school’s deadline, you could miss a scholarship; and (ii) if you make a choice too soon and are awarded a scholarship from the school through NMSC, you are done and cannot change your mind and receive another award through NMSC.
@NJDad00, thank you. It appears there’s no risk to leaving her choice as is—there’s still a very minor chance she would go there, depending on what scholarships were awarded.
Agreed; especially if there is no other NM school she is considering!
@FrozenMaineMom and to whomever else it may concern, here is my trip report for UTD as well as my comparison with UCF. I was at UTD for two whole days, one being the personalized visit scheduled through the National Merit office at UTD. FYI: This is from a student’s perspective.
We flew in Wednesday evening to Dallas Lovefield Airport and stopped by our hotel. Since we got in pretty early, we drove around Richardson to get a feel of the area. Dallas itself is VERY built up with industry/business buildings everywhere. Richardson on the other hand is a VERY affluent area. The houses were beautiful but after Zillow-ing one house I was shocked. Million dollar homes right near the university. Wow. There didn’t seem to be much of a “college town” vibe but, nonetheless, the area was beautiful. We stopped by a Tom Thumb so my parents could price the groceries- average, not too high on anything except tomatoes! Then we went to the Tricky Fish for some Louisiana style seafood. It was amazing and I highly suggest going there and ordering the calamari appetizer! Also, make sure you order mac & cheese as a side; it’s very rich and creamy! * At UCF, the surrounding area felt a bit more like a college town, while also a bit run down in some areas. The area around UCF is definitely no where near as built up as Dallas and has more free space. *
The following morning, we drove down to meet Amanda and Aaron (the NM recruiters) at the Student Services Building. They gave a free parking coupon for the day and gave us a brief overview of the Dallas area before leading us to the Visitor Center for the campus tour. The campus tour was the one general admits go through.
Throughout the tour they did mention a few interesting facts about the campus. The tour guide made a great effort to state that the university has video games to rent multiple times; in the student union, there is a large wall with a screen that you can play games on (I am not a video game person though). The bookstore has price match for their textbooks and the tech store has a student discount on Mac things. In terms of meal plans, only certain chain eateries on campus allow for meal exchange (using a meal swipe at say jimmy johns rather than the cafeteria buffet) and the meal exchange only works on predetermined meals. Everyone recommended getting the smallest meal plan to start with. UTD has one of the best chess teams in the nation and of course has a human sized, fully functioning, robotic chess board outside(awesome!!). Also, only about 5% of the campus is involved in Greek life. * For the tours in general, UCF’s seemed a bit more focused on student life and activities such as concert tickets and recreational programs. UTD’s tour seemed a bit more fact based. UCF does have a greater presence of Greek life, however, it shouldn’t be a problem to avoid. *
After the tour, my parents and I met up with a National Merit scholar (senior, mechanical engineering). The NM program paid for our lunch and we were able to pick his brain during lunch and while walking between our scheduled meetings. He told us that his out of pocket cost has been about $2-3k/yr and that most NMS choose to stay on campus all 4yrs due to the $3k/yr stipend. He also mentioned that it is very doable to manage without a car all four years; I would probably attribute this to the free DART pass (public transportation/bus) that all students are eligible for. From his experience, the best way to meet new people is to join clubs and hangout in the honors lounge, which is open 24/7 with free coffee and printing. As far as the NM program activities go, they have 4 events per year: an ice cream social, a book party, a February gala, and an end-of-year senior send off. The Collegium V Honors program provides its honors students with monthly tickets to see the Dallas symphony, opera, or theatre. Together, both programs provide good opportunities to learn how to network. Just a side note that I found interesting: they have an Anime Orchestra, playing scores from popular anime series. * At UCF, most students move off campus after a year or two because it is cheaper and the scholarship amount is the same either way. Also, rather than having out-of-pocket expenses after the scholarship, the UCF reps all talked about having leftover money to spend on recreation, car insurance, certifications(CNA/EMT), etc. Like the UTD DART pass, UCF has just started a partnership with the Orlando LYNX system, allowing students to ride for free on all LYNX buses with a student ID. Comparing the student NM representatives, UCF’s reps seems more excited and involved on campus. Of course, this kind of difference is very subjective. *
From lunch, we moved on to a housing tour. For the freshman dorms, each “suite” has 3 separate bedrooms, a shower, a toilet, 3 sinks, and a common area. They are open during all breaks from Aug-May; to stay during winter break, you must notify the dorm supervisor. There is wireless and ethernet wifi in the dorms. Laundry is free and students are given a mailbox located on the bottom floor of the dorms. There is also a kitchen on the bottom level of the dorms, typically used for baking cookies or cupcakes rather than actual meals. The dorms did feel a bit clinical to me for some reason. * The housing at UCF is significantly more “luxurious” with full beds, kitchen in the dorm/apartment, and much more space. The building itself was also more well lit and cheerful in my eyes. Also, surrounding the Towers is Knights Plaza which feels like a cohesive community in and of itself. The Towers/honors housing at UCF is an 11.5 month contract so that should be taken into consideration. *
Continued…
Then we went to a meeting with the National Merit Program Director, Mr. Seeglison. The scholarship is guaranteed for 4 years, even if state funding decreases. A few of the unique aspects of the NM/Honors programs include the opportunity for the students to take a progressor out to lunch or dinner on the honors college’s bill. This is a great opportunity to form the kind of bonds that lead to great letters of rec, become involved in research, and networking. Also, the honors orientation is right after move-in in August rather than in June or July, allowing out-of-state students to not worry about an extra trip out to the university and extra costs. Part of the honors college include the Clark Summer Research Program (apply to start research the summer before starting at the university) and the Green Fellows Program (a one semester research internship at UT Southwestern in biomedical science. The honors college holds workshops to learn about the intricacies of doing interviews and making resumes. There is also an honors capstone project for seniors. National Merit students receive priority housing and priority registration; they are automatically placed in honors housing unless otherwise indicated on the housing app. * Ok, I have to say, the UTD NMP Director did kinda put me off when I told him I was pre-med. Similar to I believe, @DiotimaDM ’s experience in that he repeatedly said that med school was a bad/terrible choice. Once would have been sufficient but my goodness!.. ANYWAYS UCF’s honors orientation is in the beginning of June which is a cost that should be considered, however minutely. UCF also has the same pre-professional workshops as UTD. The UCF honors college also has so fun events such as bowling night, video game/board game night, and a December Yule Ball! The honors college at UCF does not have a required capstone project but students may elect to do so through the Honors in the Major program rather than the regular honors program. *
After our meeting, I went to sit in on an Honors Intro to Neuroscience class while my parents went to Starbucks (not enough room for parents in the classroom). After class, I spoke with the professor in her office about the neuroscience program, research, study abroad, and pre-med life at UTD. The university definitely uses/loves undergraduate students for research, so there are many opportunities for research. Most pre-med/neuro students chose to study abroad during the summer so as to avoid scheduling issues. * This was perhaps my favorite part of my visit! The class was so interesting and the professor was so energetic! I am so glad to have had the opportunity to sit in on a college level class! For research, I do believe that it would be a bit harder to get involved in research at UCF due to the large campus population, however I am still looking into that. *
That concluded our programmed visit of UTD and afterwards we went to Cindy’s NY Delicatessen which was was also very good!
The next day, we went back to the university to explore on our own. I have to say though: It was REALLY cold. 28°F with a wind chill that made it feel like 18°F. Maybe it’s just because I’m from California but my goodness that was cold! The library consists of four floors, all of which were completely silent. The were many cubicles for individual studying and no one I saw was collaborating with other people. After asking a student, we were told that it typically gets more busy near lunchtime, but I’m not too sure about that… We stopped by the Student Services Building and found out that the student health clinic only accepts UTD insurance; if you have an outside provider you have to pay full cost. Our last stop was once again the honors college. The Dean ended up giving us a tour of the Honors lounge which was very nice. There was a social room with a bunch of computers, a silent study room, a reading/symposium room, and a kitchen. The lounge also has free printing. * UCF’s library was larger than UTD’s library, but I think the biggest difference for me was the level of collaboration at UCF. On the lower floors, there were many rolling white boards with students working/studying together. UCF’s health center also accepts other insurances, not just insurance issued by UCF. UCF’s Honors College also had a different feel. In terms of aesthetics, at UCF they have an outdoors garden/pond area, and an indoors computer lab and reading room. At UTD the staff were all adults while at UCF there was a good mixture of students and adults. *
After leaving the campus, we ate lunch at Sonny Bryan’s Smokehouse and dinner ate Rosa’s Cafe. Both were great and I would recommend the carnitas nachos at Rosa’s. Rosa’s homemade tortillas were also wonderful! If all else fails, you can not go hungry at UTD!
Overall, UTD definitely has a “nerdy” vibe which I think is terrific! The likelihood of running into crazy frat people and parties is very minimal, a huge pro in my mind. However, I feel like everyone on campus was just like me. Of course it’s a generalization, but I felt like the campus consisted of many independent introverts. I feel like I could really fit into this campus culture, but I also know myself. I need people that are the exact opposite of me or else I become stagnant. I know that I would be able to find my group at UTD but I feel like I can grow more at UCF. Both campuses are amazing with wonderful students; I just didn’t connect with UTD like I did with UCF. I love the community at UCF that seems to be brought together through campus events such as Light Up UCF, comedy knights, and thePoint After Dark. UTD on the other hand seems very pre-professional and serious.
I hope this was helpful for those of you who managed to read it all! Both UTD and UCF are wonderful universities, but they are also very different. Currently, I am 95% sure that I will be attending UCF next year! (assuming I am a NMF) The other 5% goes to UC Davis or UC Irvine who could but almost definitely won’t give me sufficient financial aid; even then, I have fallen in love with UCF so I’m not sure if even that would sway me!
Thanks for the thorough visit report, with helpful comparisons to UCF. Glad to hear that you had a good visit that covered so many aspects of UTD. Sounds as if you have really found an excellent match at UCF though!
Appreciate the heads-up about the UTD clinic only accepting UTD insurance; I didn’t know that and will have to consider what to do for my S when he goes to school. He’ll have a car on campus though, so he should be able to drive to a doctor in Richardson who accepts our family’s insurance. Hmmm. Something to ponder for sure.
NJDad00 IMHO The idea of Benaquisto was to keep NMF in State. The Idea now is too attract OOS NMF students. Generally, as schools reduce their policies for NMF it usually doesn’t effect the current awards. I believe the State of Florida wont back off on this program. FWIW.
sewin2music Great read! My sons #1 choice is still UCF. He loved it! He also applied to UF and FSU just in case of Benaquisto possibilities that may arrive. (Of course some Ivies)
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!
Benacquisto Scholarship Program
Frequently Asked Questions
- Who is eligible for the Benacquisto Scholarship award?
The scholarship is available to National Merit® Finalists who graduate from a Florida high school during the 2013-14 school year and thereafter and receive one of the following qualifying scholarships:
• National Merit® $2500 Scholarship,
• Corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship®, or
• College-sponsored Merit Scholarship®. - How do I become a National Merit® Finalist?
The National Merit Corporation determines these designations. Visit the Corporation’s website at http://nationalmerit.org to learn more about the process. - I graduated high school in 2012 and received a National Merit ® $2500 scholarship; do I qualify for a Benacquisto Scholarship?
No. The scholarship is effective with Florida high school graduates of 2013-14 and thereafter. - Do I need to complete an application to be considered for this scholarship?
No. Students are not required to submit the Florida Financial Aid Application (FFAA) to be eligible for the Benacquisto Scholarship. However, students may be eligible for other types of state aid once an application has been completed and evaluated. - Who determines if I am eligible to receive the scholarship?
Postsecondary institutions determine scholarship eligibility. Information from the National Merit Corporation is sent to institutions verifying National Merit® Finalists who received one of the qualifying awards. Institutions also ensure that finalists meet all of the following funding requirements:
• Must be a Florida resident and a U.S. citizen or elegible non-citizen as determined by the institution.
• Beginning with the 2013-14 high school graduates, earn a standard Florida high school diploma or its equivalency unless the student completes a home education program or earns a high school diploma from a non-Florida high school while living with a parent who is on military or public service assignment out of Florida.
• Enroll at an eligible, regionally accredited, public or independent postsecondary institution.
• Enroll full-time (minimum 12 credit hours per term or quarter equivalency) in a baccalaureate degree program.
• Initially enroll at an eligible postsecondary institution during the fall academic term immediately following high school graduation.
Benacquisto Scholarship Program: Frequently Asked Questions
Florida Department of Education, Office of Student Financial Assistance Page | 2 - I am a National Merit® Finalist who was awarded a College-sponsored scholarship from the University of Georgia. However, I plan to attend University of Florida instead. Am I eligible for the Benacquisto Scholarship award?
No. The College-sponsored award must be received by your first choice institution (must also be an eligible Florida institution) where you will be attending. - I received a Special Scholarship from a corporate sponsor. Am I eligible for the Benacquisto Scholarship award?
No. A National Merit® Special Scholarship is not a qualifying scholarship. - I am a ‘National Hispanic Scholar’. Am I eligible for the Benacquisto Scholarship award?
No. Only National Merit® Finalists through the National Merit Scholarship Corporation are eligible for the scholarship award. - What Florida institutions can offer a College-sponsored qualifying scholarship?
Currently six Florida institutions participate with the National Merit Scholarship Corporation as a College-sponsor for the 2017-18 academic year:
• Florida State University
• New College of Florida
• University of Central Florida
• University of Florida
• University of Miami
• University of South Florida - Which colleges or universities can I attend?
A student who was awarded a National Merit $2500 Scholarship or a Corporate-sponsored Scholarship can attend any of the eligible regionally accredited Florida institutions listed on OSFA’s website.
A student who was awarded a College-sponsored Scholarship must attend the institution that financed the scholarship or award. - If I receive a College-sponsored Scholarship from an eligible Florida institution, can I attend any of the other eligible Florida institutions instead?
No. A student who receives an offer for a College-sponsored Scholarship must attend the institution financing the scholarship or award.
continued:
12. How does my college or university know that I am eligible for the scholarship?
The college or university will verify your status against a roster from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. You should retain a copy of the official letter or certificate you received from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation denoting your status as a ‘Finalist’ and a copy of the scholarship award letter in case questions arise regarding your status.
Benacquisto Scholarship Program: Frequently Asked Questions
Florida Department of Education, Office of Student Financial Assistance Page | 3
13. I am a National Merit Finalist and have received a sponsorship offer; however my institution has no record of my National Merit Award. How can I confirm that I will be awarded the Benacquisto Scholarship?
The National Merit Corporation will provide a list of National Merit Award recipients to the appropriate institution after the May 31st deadline to report college choice. After the institution receives the list, eligibility determinations will be made and awards offered accordingly.
14. I was a 2014-15 National Merit Finalist who received the National Achievement Scholarship. Can I continue receiving Benacquisto Scholarship even though the National Merit Corporation no longer sponsors the program?
Yes, your current eligibility will not be affected by the transition of the National Achievement Scholarship program. You must continue to meet the annual renewal requirements to maintain scholarship eligibility.
15.When will I receive my funding?
Your institution will disburse funding to you after the drop/add period. Contact your institution’s Financial Aid office for information concerning specific disbursement dates.
16. I am eligible for the Benacquisto Scholarship but do not want to start my postsecondary career in the Fall. Can I delay accepting the initial scholarship award?
No. Eligible students must begin enrollment at an eligible postsecondary institution no later than the fall term following high school graduation to receive the scholarship award.
17. How do I renew my scholarship?
To renew, a student must earn a minimum 3.0 cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) and earn all credit hours enrolled at the end of the drop/add period each term. The scholarship renews automatically at the end of the second semester, third quarter, or the equivalent, at the end of the academic year, provided the student meets the renewal requirements.
18.What happens if I do not meet the renewal requirements?
If the student does not meet both the GPA and credit hour requirements for renewal, the student will lose the scholarship. Once lost, the scholarship cannot be restored.
19. Can I drop a class after drop/add period and still meet the renewal requirements?
No. If the student drops a class after the drop/add period, the student will not be able to earn all credit hours enrolled and therefore, will not meet renewal requirements.
20. Can I take additional courses in the second term to make up for hours not earned during the first term in order to meet the renewal requirements?
No. The credit hour requirement must be met each term.
Benacquisto Scholarship Program: Frequently Asked Questions
Florida Department of Education, Office of Student Financial Assistance Page | 4
21. Can I get my scholarship back if I lose it?
No. The Benacquisto Scholarship does not provide a restoration opportunity for students. Once eligibility is lost, it may not be restored.
22. Will my scholarship renew if I skip the spring semester?
Benacquisto Scholars are required to enroll the fall term after high school graduation. You are not obligated to attend both fall and spring terms. However, you must meet renewal requirements to have the scholarship available again in the following fall term.
23. Is my eligibility compromised if I start attending classes the summer after graduating from high school?
No. Eligible students who begin to take classes during the summer and continue enrollment in the fall term will not forfeit their scholarship eligibility. The requirement is that you be enrolled the fall after high school graduation. Eligible students will only be funded fall and spring terms. Summer funding is not available.
24. How much is the scholarship award amount?
The award amount is equivalent to the per term institutional cost of attendance (COA), provided by the Florida Board of Governors, minus the sum of the Bright Futures (BF) award and National Merit award® (NM).
The institution may adjust an award based on a student’s other qualifying awards in order to satisfy federal or institutional regulations.
25.What is included in the cost of attendance (COA)?
The COA is the total cost to attend college full-time per term and may include, but is not limited to, tuition and fees, on-campus room and board, books, supplies, travel, and miscellaneous expenses.
26. Is funding currently available to cover the summer?
No. Legislative appropriated funds are not sufficient to cover the summer terms.
27. Can I transfer to another institution once I begin receiving the Benacquisto Scholarship?
No. Benacquisto scholars must maintain enrollment at the institution where the student was initially funded in order to maintain scholarship eligibility
The Benaquisto is Full Cost of Attendance for In State NMF to these Public schools and the same amount ($33,000) to the qualified Private school ( U of Miami and New College?) State Bill 4 would apply it to Out of State NMF and place OOS NMF as instate tuition rate.
• Florida State University
• New College of Florida
• University of Central Florida
• University of Florida
• University of Miami
• University of South Florida
New College is Public also.
@sewin2music, thank you for the thorough review! We visited UTD in the cold on Friday, though we didn’t do an actual National Merit visit at this point.
@bctnln1059 Friday was certainly cold!! I would definitely try to do a national merit visit or go to one of the national merit program previews this spring. It was fun to get the different perspectives of the students and the program director!
@sewin2music You mentioned UC Davis probably won’t give you enough aid. We were surprised at the amount that Davis offered to our NMF son last year. In addition to the $7500 Regents scholarship, there was an additional $1500 stipend and then a few thousand more in financial aid. All combined, it nearly covered tuition except for a couple thousand. Depending on how much you need, they may end up closer than you think if you are fortunate enough to get a Regents there. The Irvine Regents offer wasn’t close to Davis.
@youcee Hmm that’s interesting. I wasn’t aware that UC Davis had a national merit scholarship. Is the Regents scholarship and stipend renewable for 4 years or is it a one time award? Also, did the Regents scholarship decrease the amount of financial aid that would have been given (ie. university/state grants)? I know that a lot of schools increase the EFC as merit scholarships increase, making it a zero-sum game. We would definitely need more than tuition coverage but would qualify for the Middle Class Scholarship, so it will be interesting to see as financial aid awards start coming in.
@sewin2music Davis doesn’t have a NMF scholarship, I just meant to say as an NMF you might have the stats for a Regents. Regents is for 4 years, but you have to maintain a certain GPA. I’m not sure about the extra stipend he got, we didn’t look into it more. I don’t know what they’d do for FA - he was offered about the same at Davis as he was at UCs where he didn’t get a scholarship.
@youcee Ohhh ok thanks that makes more sense. I’ll look into it a bit more then
Forgive my naïveté, but can someone remind me of the timeline here? We are hoping to not get letters this month, correct? I thought I remembered that. Then what happens? Names of finalists are given to schools in a month or two? Thanks in advance. 
Early Feb. the letters are mailed to schools. In Mid Feb. the letters are mailed to the recipients. You can probably strt bugging your school around Feb. 10th or so.
@JBStillFlying , any word from those who have received the dreaded January letters? Would that have happened already? Thanks for your help.
The attached link has a timeline for this year’s competition. February 5 is the notification date for schools, and February 12 for the letters directly to students. It doesn’t specify whether those are the dates NMSC mails the items or the dates they expect for receipt of the items though.
https://nationalmerit.imodules.com/s/1758/images/gid2/editor_documents/merit_r_i_leaflet.pdf