School has not heard back yet in Missouri. Have talked to office staff, admins, etc
http://www.miamibeach411.com/news/index.php?/news/comments/um-uf/
I don’t know how accurate this is, but it was funny!
Apologies if asked and answered multiple times, but for me one thing is still unclear. What’s the process after the 2,500 March 22 $2500 NM Scholarship offers go out? I’m guessing the letter is simply a notification to the winners, and then there’s a step I don’t understand in which NMSC mails the $2500 check directly to the college. Thanks in advance!
@CGCC20 this may be helpful
https://www.nationalmerit.org/s/1758/interior.aspx?sid=1758&gid=2&pgid=436
Perfect! Thank you!
My son still has his first choice college as undecided…does he have to enter a college’s name before march 22nd…this is very unclear to us as he is still not sure about where he is going to enroll.He is also waiting for 2 more results the end of this month.Some of the colleges that are under consideration for him are sponsors and others are not.Not sure what to do.
@HPfan101 look at the top article
@priya2015 – I believe your child needs to indicate their first choice before May 1st. And since this is also when colleges want a decision, the timing should be fine. Of course, if he chooses a college without a NMF scholarship, it’s a moot point. There’s 3 colleges on my D’s list that offer (small) NMF scholarships; the rest do not. So if she is accepted and chooses one of them, she’ll change her ‘undecided’ to the name of that college prior to May 1. I’m not as much an expert as others on this forum, so if this is off track, please someone chime in! Good luck!!!
@FSUdad93 : I was wondering about how your UF visit went…
Does Honors Program still allow early-registration? Some claim that it is no longer on the website.
Also, another piece of information I dug:
UF:
Percent in top tenth of high school graduating class 73%
Percent in top quarter of high school graduating class 95%
UCF:
Percent in top tenth of high school graduating class 31%
Percent in top quarter of high school graduating class 70%
Still here at UF. Excellent! Yes on preferential scheduling in Honors.
@FSUdad93 my son applied to UF as well in anticipation of SB4 passing for the Benacquisto being available to OOS NMF. Have you confirmed that this scholarship for NMF will be available for this fall? The financial aid office on Monday when I called had no clue. Then Tuesday we emailed and got confirmation that it would be available but the info he sent still said Florida resident requirement. I assume that criteria just had not been changed but wanted to know if you also heard from them it was good this year for our admitted kids that are OOS NMF. My son and I will be visiting UF in 10 days to tour campus and visit with CS, Honors and Research representatives. Also visiting UCF again that week. Thanks db
@dbhawk , the bill specifically says that it applies to students attending fall of 2018. It will take the schools time to adjust their bureaucracy. Thats what happened for in state Benacquisto/FIS. Strap in and hang on.
The question to ask when you visit is “my son/dau is an NMF but not a scholar(winner) yet and we have UF as first choice will the college select him/her as college scholar” come May. Because you would have enrolled in UF before May and what is the guarantee. Benacquisto says it is applicable only to scholar. Some colleges give it in writing. You should ask for the same. Just my few cents.
NMF - National Merit Finalist
NMS - National Merit Scholar (winner of either corporate, $2500 award or college sponsored $500 award)
At the financial aid office: They are not sure how the legislature wants to handle OOS Benacquisto as of yet . "TIME being: make sure you have UF as #1 choice and wait until NM gives more info. " They currently believe one must make decision on where one is attending before it is applied to their file. (She said “I guess”) Lol
The Florida Dept. Of Education hasn’t updated yet. I have an email request submitted to them requesting urgency.
It appears to me imho that we would need some kind of reassurance in advance.
It is so new that we must wait on bureaucratic red tape. Meanwhile I will keep bothering both sites.
Thanks for al the replies. Very helpful. Lots to consider. Hopefully they have more definitive info when I am there in 10 days. I will share anything different I find out.
We are going to be at FSU in a few weeks and we will be asking their FA dept the same questions. Also Miami.
@priya2015 I would call the colleges that are sponsors and ask. My son’s top choices are sponsors, and one wanted their school listed as top choice by Mar 1. We listed that school and have already received a modified aid package from them including the NM money. When I called NM corp office, they told me we can change school choice before May 1. It’s my understanding if we change, we will lose the money from that school, but would receive money from the school we change it to as long as that school’s date is May 1. YMMV so again I would contact those schools.
@AlmostThere2018 @jcmom716 …thank you so much!
From the Office of Student Financial Assistance: (State of Florida) in reference to an Email I sent:
“Our website is updated annually on July 1 with the latest legislative changes to the scholarship program and information awardees need to know for the coming academic year. You may view the changes after that date at http://www.floridastudentfinancialaid.org/SSFAD/home/latestInfo.pdf .”
If further assistance is needed, please call OSFA Customer Service at 888-827-2004.
How unhelpful.