@mountainmomof3 email does not include any language about future classes. I check UA’s website and it has not been updated for this. Website still says one year of housing. Otherwise the same package. Presumably it would put be there for class of 2019 but obviously no guarantees.
I wonder if this was done due to Benaquisto OOS changes and that they are having trouble closing the deal on NMF kids considering FL publics?
Here is the full email:
Congratulations, XXXXX, once again, on your National Merit designation!
If you who have moved to finalist status, please note our scholarship package now includes an expanded housing award.
National Merit Finalist Package
• Value of tuition for up to five years or 10 semesters for degree-seeking undergraduate and graduate (or law) studies
• Four years of on-campus housing at regular room rate* (based on assignment by Housing and Residential Communities)
• $3,500 per year Merit Scholarship stipend for four years
• One-time allowance of $2,000 for use in summer research or international study (after completing one year of study at UA)
• $2,000 book scholarship ($500 per year for four years)
If you have not already, please reply to this email with a copy of your certificate or letter confirming your finalist status, and we will award the National Merit Finalist Package. Be sure to name UA as your number one college choice with the National Merit Scholarship Corporation by May 1st. If you have questions about your next steps, please let us know. We look forward to welcoming you to the Capstone this fall!
Sincerely,
Undergraduate Admissions and Scholarships
*Regular room rate is defined as the largest room option in a particular dorm. Example: Riverside, Lakeside and Ridgecrest have four-person suites. The cost associated with the four person suite would be the value of the housing scholarship in this circumstance. If you live in an alternative dorm where double room occupancy is the largest available option, then the cost associated with the double room would be the value of the housing scholarship.
@LOUKYDAD that was my immediate thought with regards to change in FL. I will have S19 reach out to the admissions counselor who worked with him arranging his recent visit. This may make S19’s decision process even easier.
@LOUKYDAD
We got the same email. That has definitely made the decision for DP Jr. and interesting one …
Re: Bama - how interesting! That puts Bama back among the top NMF offers in terms of $$$.
@LOUKYDAD and @DavidPuddy - just to clarify. The UA housing covers the suites? I figured it only covered the lower tier housing with doubles.
@mountainmomof3 Apparently it covers the standard option at whatever dorm you are assigned to. I am not very informed about housing assignment at UA. You will want to check out the thread for UA on CC if you haven’t already. Very active thread.
At FSU this weekend for a scholarship weekend. Admissions director told me face to face that if Fla Legislature defunds or limits OOS Benacquisto while my kid is there, FSU will pick it up and honor the full scholarship.
Same email here reference UA.
@Phlipper yea I’m in band but I’m not planning on doing it in college. Definately not marching, it just wasnt my favorite thing. But I’m gonna look into maybe being a part of a jazz ensemble cuz I love jazz
That is interesting that UA has upped their game. Good for the students! UF entering the full COA NMF ring is great for everyone it seems.
Makes me very excited. Yep, prepping for NMF is worth it for us auto merit chasers.
Thank you for posting such helpful info!!
Would someone mind telling me what the Maine cutoff index was for this year? Also, one more question, if a NMSF, is I know the SAT needs to be inline but is there a specific score it needs to be? My daughter had an index of 223 in ME for PSAT and just took SAT yesterday and just curious how high she needs to score on that to not worry about taking it again if we are content with the score. thx!
@FrozenMaineMom I believe Maine was 215. Art at Compass Prep is predicting between 214-218 for Maine this year. Your daughter should be more than safe. I believe students usually want to shoot for a confirming SAT score that provides an SI of greater than or equal to this year’s commended score of 212. But, I am a 2019 parent as well so hopefully some of the experienced 2018 NMF parents/students can chime in with more authority! Your daughter is in a great spot! My DS is on the bubble being only one point above last year’s CO cutoff.
I don’t think anyone can tell you what precise SAT confirming score will be needed for class of 2019 at this point. Conventional wisdom is they won’t set the required SAT confirming score higher than 212 SI (the commended PSAT cut off for class of 2019).
@FrozenMaineMom I can only emphasize what @mountainmomof3 says about Art at Compass Prep. His predictions about NMSF scores are spot on, and he has lots of other great advice, too. Your daughter sounds like she is in good shape. Reading CC is a wonderful source of information about NMF scholarships. Our NMF from 2018 is headed to USC, and I’m not sure she would have applied had we not read about the 50 percent scholarships USC offers to all admitted NMFs (note: this means it is NOT a guaranteed scholarship as some NMFs are not admitted). She is quite liberal and wasn’t at all interested in any of the schools in the south that offer guaranteed NMF scholarships, but going to college in California appealed to her a great deal. It worked out for her. Also, keep in mind that at other schools, actual SAT/ACT scores are more important or just as important as NMF status. Our NMF has a sibling who is two years older who wasn’t a NMF, but the two had nearly identical SAT and ACT scores and similiar ECs. They applied to several of the same colleges and received nearly identical merit scholarships. In some cases, the older daughter received slightly better scholarships.
To all with interest in Texas A&M and USC, we got back from our visits on Tuesday.
Both visits went well. My son and I were both impressed with the diversity and openness at Texas A&M. He is very open-minded and progressive, and still felt very comfortable. A&M did not seem at all like it’s detractors say. They set up the visit nicely, including meetings with professors in his intended major, lunch with some National Scholars, and a tour of some major-specific facilities (he actually set that up).
The USC visit was also great. Also got him into a class and had dinner with a student in his major who was also NMF. She lives in the honors dorm and said it was great. In a strange coincidence, he ran into the only kid from his HS who is a current student.
Both the A&M and USC tour guides were fantastic. It amazes me what a HUGE impact that can have.
He felt a little more “at home” at USC, but could definitely see himself being happy at both schools. We are confirming a few tweaks to the USC scholarship/grant package. If that is where we need it, I think that’s the choice. If not, it’s A&M. He’ll be happy regardless. Maybe a little bummed, but happy. It’s a nice spot to be in.
In case it helps anyone, our USC-bound Presidential recipient ended up receiving $2,000 University Scholarship, and then, today, an additional $1,000 “National Merit College Sponsored Scholarship” showed up in her USC Financial Aid Summary. She also got an email telling her there was an update to her Financial
Aid Summary. This is no doubt due to her naming USC as her first-choice school (on 3/20/18) with National Merit Scholarship Corporation. I thought it might be helpful for people wondering if/when this would show up after naming first-choice school with NMSC. That makes total gift aid with Presidential ($27,660) to equal $30,600 for 2018-29. Every little bit is appreciated. I imagine Presidential goes up as it is percentage-based, but that other two remain the same . . . if anyone knows differently, please chime in.
@Isoinfo , my junior D’s Presidential amount has increased each year with any tuition increase.