Does that mean that barring me committing any felonies between now and then that I get get the $7500 per year no matter what, or do I simply “qualify” for the FA, still with the chance to be rejected from it? If I do get the $7500 per year off, does that hurt my chances of getting need based aid, or are need based and merit based totally separte?
<p>vyse, Baylor will indeed give you your $7500.It is guaranteed merit. Other schools , like Southwestern in Georgetown, have a similar system, although you have to calculate it yourself. (DePauw in Indiana has an online calculator similar to Baylor's).Baylor is in my backyard and my D's school sends several top students to Baylor each year, most receiving some merit awards.</p>
<p>Now the really, really bad news. You calculate FA at a merit school like this. COA =$30K (for example), your EFC is $15k. You get $7500 in merit awards. $30k -$7500=$22,500 $22,500 -$15K EFC=$7500 in "need" left over. Baylor does NOT meet 100% of need in most cases, and even if they did some will be loans, some work study. You still pay the EFC of $15K .It simply changed your need based grant into a scholarship you have to maintain a high GPA to receive. </p>
<p>Merit at most schools works best for those who can write a check for the COA. It is a true reduction in out of pocket costs of $7500 to people the school has determined DON'T need it. Most folks unaware of school policy assume that you take the merit off the estimated family contribution, as in $30-15 =$15k in need. Then the merit scholarship come off the $15 EFC. Nope. Not the way it works, unfortunately for you and my D, and many others. EFC is still the EFC.</p>
<p>Some schools will configure your FA package differently if you receive a merit scholarship, and possibly to your advantage. For example, one highly selective school my D is applying to has an unpublicized FA rule that if you receive a merit scholarship they only use Fafsa not Profile as they normally do , and all need is met with grants. No loans or w/s. Pretty sweet and pretty unusual ,too.</p>
<p>Thanks for the informative response. I'm glad to know of these technicalities before I get too giddy about the $7500 FA. Since you said that baylor is in your back yard, could you tell me what most students have to say about the city of Waco? From what I've seen, there's not a whole lot to do, and driving back to Dallas or up to Austin every weekend doesn't seem feasible. The pros for Baylor to me are:</p>
<p>-Conservative private school
-High School friends are going there
-Financial Aid</p>
<p>The cons are the overall cost in the first place, the fact that it's not a recognized top 50 school and the city of Waco. My pros for UT are that its a recognized top 50 school, the city of Austin is great, and since its so big, that means there are tons of UT alumni in the workforce, which is a huge plus. So my pros for Baylor are my cons for UT, and vice cersa pretty much. Maybe you can help me in my assessment of the city of Waco though.</p>
<p>You'll rarely be in Waco. You'll be at Baylor.:). baylor has 15k kids. There's always something going on anytime you have 15K kids. Waco itself is a relatively old town. There are restaurants and the BU kids can find bars if that's their wont. Sports are fun at BU. Baseball, track,softball, tennis and Women's Basketball are all top ranked programs with good crowd support,men's bball will maybe come back someday, football is mercifully over by Christmas. Lake Waco and the Brazos draw the waterskiers out darn near year round (wetsuits),decent mountain bike trails in the largest municipal park in the U.S., wonderful facilities, world class student life center, good music programs,great marching band, Lyric Opera, Theatre, concerts, ensemble performances, wonderful Browning collection, big giant intramural program, and I guess the most fun the kids have is *****hing bout how Waco is not Dallas or Austin. LOL.</p>
<p>Best thing? Baylor is a traditional dating school. Really good looking students. </p>
<p>I've lived within 40 minutes of Ma Baylor for 30 years , and am on campus monthly. By choice. And I'm a liberal. LOL. You could do a lot worse, and anyway, it is a well respected school by the movers and shakers and the alumni are in very powerful positions in medicine,politics, law, and business throughout the state. Remember how Baylor got to be big twelve while SMU and TCU got put back to romper room? That's an alumni base. LOL. </p>
<p>I'm touting Baylor a lot more with the recent administrative changes. The interim President is an acquaintance of mine and a fine man of upstanding and humble character and without divisive agenda. If you aspire to professional school in Texas, BU will get you there. And anyway, TU sucks.JK.</p>
<p>Alright, that's all really good to know. I really liked Baylor the two times I visited the campus, and my two biggest cons (city of Waco, cost) are being somewhat alleviated.</p>
<p>Vyse, It is what it is and they really don't make a lot of excuses for who they are. Are there things I'd change? Sure. You'll probably find some,too but as you are a Texan and a self-described conservative, probably not as many as I would.;)</p>