<p>NATIONAL MERIT FINALIST OR NATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT FINALIST PACKAGE 2014-2015</p>
<p>Students must list The University of Alabama as their college of choice with the National Merit Corporation by May 1, 2014.</p>
<p>Value of tuition for up to five years or 10 semesters for degree-seeking undergraduate and graduate studies</p>
<p>One year of on-campus housing at regular room rate* (based on assignment by Housing and Residential Communities)</p>
<p>A $3,500 per year Merit/Achievement Scholarship stipend for four years. A student must maintain at least a 3.3 GPA to continue receiving this scholarship stipend. If a corporate-sponsored scholarship from the National Merit Corporation is received, the total value cannot exceed $3,500. (For example, if you receive a corporate-sponsored scholarship of $2,000 per year, UA will contribute $1,500 per year to reach the total stipend amount of $3,500.)
One-time allowance of $2,000 for use in summer research or international study (after completing one year of study at UA)</p>
<p>iPad</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>This is a really nice addition to the scholarship.</p>
<p>Can this scholarship be used years after the bachelors was conferred? Say an NMF decided to become an Alabama school teacher and four years after graduation, the NMF realizes that he needs a masters to advance. Could the NMF then go back to UA and do his masters, with the first year paid for?</p>
<p>I don’t know…I’m thinking, “no”, but I guess a person could ask.</p>
<p>Also, note that the yearly stiipend has increased from $1k to $3500…very nice.</p>
<p>the 5th year is so nice because so many NMFs come in with at least a year’s worth of AP/DE credits.</p>
<p>The above post says “for degree-seeking undergraduate and graduate studies,” so I would think “yes” for grad school. Thanks for the update. My son visited in February. Loved the Computer-Embedded Honors program. Have visited a few other schools since that he also really likes, so we’ll see. This is a nice upgrade.</p>
<p>I still think that the student would need to ask the Scholarship office. </p>
<p>It would be hard to imagine that student could graduate…leave Bama for a few years…and then come back and use that 5th year towards grad school.</p>
<p>I think the idea is for students to immediately move from BS to grad school, but I could be wrong.</p>
<p>Bama has the University Scholars program that allows undergrads to start working on their masters while they’re undergrads. For students with AP credits, sometimes that’s done within four years. However, there have been some students who need that 5th year to complete their MS degrees, hence this new offer.</p>
<p>If UA is on your radar, I encourage you to get in an application and put a housing deposit down. This worked for us, but for others who waited, it caused some housing stress. The housing process is pretty straight-forward, but has a timeline. Check all deadlines and try to meet them. Bama is a rolling applications school, so your child can get an acceptance pretty quick. I would think once word gets out that the scholarship has been increased apps from qualified students will pick up. There is only so much housing to go around and for freshman a spot in guaranteed, but not the actual dorm.<br>
Another perk to the extra semesters of tuition–study abroad opportunities, plus the possible “major change”…</p>
<p>Are NMF not guaranteed housing in Honors dorms?</p>
<p>^^^</p>
<p>Freshman year NMF’s are usually assured an Honors room, but I don’t know if that policy is still in effect. You’d have to email Bama and ask if assured.</p>
<p>However, even if NMFs are assured honors housing their frosh year, that doesn’t mean that they can delay depositing and get the honors residence hall of their choice. They may get an honors room in an honors hall, but maybe not in their first choice hall.</p>
<p>^Thanks! Are there considerable differences among the honors halls? How many of them are there?? I often have a hard time getting my head around just how big Bama is. Even though I have been on the campus!</p>
<p>I think there are now 4 honors halls…Ridgecrest E, W, S-north tower, S-south tower. </p>
<p>Since Ridgecrest S (both towers) are the newest honors dorms, some prefer those.</p>