<p>I was wondering how common this is. Some universitys and their different departments offer high acheivers additional merit scholarships as they continue on in college. Have your students been rewarded additional monies after their freshman year? What are the expectations for this additional money? How common is this in the Ivy's ( yes, I know it's not seen as "merit" scholarship...but it happens anyway :) )</p>
<p>In one case, it happened by accident for my son: The school sent out a letter with an incorrect amount (higher) for part of his merit scholarship for the following year. They sent another letter apologizing for the mistake, but said they'd honor the wrong amount. :)</p>
<p>He also got a grant for a summer activity (making a film) from the University and there is another merit scholarship that he might qualify for (but hasn't received yet).</p>
<p>And... he also got a fairly good grant to produce a promotional film for the University: <a href="http://www.ohio.edu/av/beinghere/breakdown_lrg.cfm%5B/url%5D">http://www.ohio.edu/av/beinghere/breakdown_lrg.cfm</a></p>
<p>WOW, dig...very,very cool film from your son! </p>
<p>I really am asking because I think future/current students do not realize that there are quite a number of opportunities to bring in aditional funds once they get started. Nothing is a sure thing but if a student needs additional funding there are opportunities out there if they work hard and are go getters. Your son is a great example!</p>
<p>Our son's merit scholarships have remained the same for three yrs. However both semesters this(jr) year he was offered undergrad TA's to assist in CompSci 1 labs at an effective hourly rate of $20/hr($10/hr but with an allowance for prep time which he found to be unnecessary). He also had been offered paid research lab assistant position for this summer which he turned down because of an internship in Pasadena, Ca which he is really enjoying thus far.</p>
<p>These do not make up for the increase in tuition and fees but it is nice nevertheless.</p>
<p>Caltech's Upper Class Merit Awards require an application. </p>
<p><a href="http://www.finaid.caltech.edu/merit%5B/url%5D">http://www.finaid.caltech.edu/merit</a></p>
<p>Awards range from 3/4 tuition to full tuition to full support (includes room and board) for the following year. Students can apply each year for the following year.</p>
<p>Financial need is NOT a consideration.</p>
<p>(I am the parent of a recipent.)</p>
<p>Mine received a summer travel study grant for work in Cambodia, Thailand, and India, a paid internship, a travel fellowship for research in Italy, and a paid research fellowship (and member of a research institute) for her senior year. They all required applications.</p>
<p>At my son's college (Indiana U), students can apply for a variety of scholarships--most using just one form--with requirements ranging from strictly academic to leadership, community service, and being a working student. My son was awarded an extra $500 last year and hopes to get more this coming year. He also worked as an RA last year, with the benefits adding up to about $8000 for the year. (But it was a lot of work and stress.)</p>
<p>My son's initial 1/2 tuition performance scholarship increased by $1600 for year two, and an additional $4000 for year 3 with the addition of institutional scholarships awarded automatically because of his continued achievements. Years 4 & 5 he had full tuition paid by winning placement in the honors chamber ensemble. </p>
<p>His program was a 5 year program from the beginning and they promised funding the full five years provided he met requirements. </p>
<p>They ended up being far more generous than we had imagined.</p>
<p>Most colleges my D applied to had additional merit scholarships only available after freshman year. They are usually listed somewhere in undergraduate catalog. D received additional $3k her sophomore year only (she used half, started coop second semester) and $2K/yr from coop employer. Prof suggested she apply for specific merit scholarship for next year. I have not asked her if she received it.</p>
<p>D's has gone up automatically each year in conjunction with the seemingly annual tuition increases. She's on full academic scholarship, but it does not include room and board. However, we're grateful that the scholarship keeps pace. S's "award" is much, much less so we feel blessed to have one tuition that is covered.</p>
<p>I believe she could probably apply for other awards since there seem to be a number designated for students AFTER freshman year. However, she believes that because she's already got the one she has, she'd be unlikely to be awarded additional funds. I don't know how true that is though.</p>
<p>Digmedia-
That video was terrific! OU is one of the schools we are looking at, so it was informative, too :)</p>
<p>Yes. Some was four year merit aid awarded earlier. Twice awards showed up on a bill - big awards. When I called and asked what they were, I was referred to another office. A large grant was applied for sophmore year and received.
This was at two different schools with two different kids.</p>
<p>Dd applied for and will recieve a "fellowship" award of $1000 next year, in addition to her other merit awards and some needbased aid. This does involve some research work with a prof, so it is not just free money.</p>
<p>Daughter's merit award at Oberlin has not changed despite typical increases in costs of attendance, nor have we expected it to do so.</p>
<p>BassDad: has she looked into other awards for upperclassmen or do they not exist?</p>
<p>Mine did - an increase in academic money, plus, the athletic department offered full scholarship, including books, but with a slight catch - for some weird reason it was going to be "easier" for them to award the entire COA, and, they wanted my daughter to decline her merit funds so they could pay her entire account in full, and, those merit funds were from three different sources - two from the college and one from outside. D didn't want to do that, saying that the merit awards were, in her opinion, more "prestigious". She called me to say that she would prefer to decline the athletic scholarship offer altogether rather than decline her merit money. So after a few conference calls we worked out a way for her to receive only the amount of money in athletic scholarships that were needed after the merit scholarships were deducted. </p>
<p>It felt VERY weird to be saying essentially "here, take this $25K back, we don't need it"...</p>
<p>Later, she was awarded a (much smaller) departmental scholarship, which caused an overage, so they issued refund checks...</p>
<p>I am not aware of any, but the original award was very good and we can afford to pay the rest.</p>
<p>Grinnell said they'd increase my son's merit award to cover any tuition increases.</p>
<p>My D has had the same merit awards for two years and next year's tuition bill arrived, also with the same amount. Workstudy pay rates do increase slightly but that makes very little difference. At least she is working this summer. Last year, she took courses at the local State U and we also paid for music lessons. This year she has a pretty decent job/internship. She will take some music lessons, but was just called and offered a scholarship for a one week program. She is cleared at work and will still get paid the same amount but needs to work an extra week in the Fall.</p>