<p>I don't qualify for a FAFSA due to my parent's salary, and I was wondering if I would not qualify for many merit scholarships as well.</p>
<p>Sort of. Some “merit” scholarships will go to only those will low EFCs, or those people with need. However, there are truly some merit scholarships which are only based on merit. </p>
<p>If a scholarship asks you what your parent’s income is, or what your EFC is, then it is more likely or not going to hinder you if you have little “need”. However, those that don’t ask will go solely based on merits (or essays or whatever).</p>
<p>Merit scholarships USUALLY aren’t determined by the salary of the parent’s. All of the merit based aid have applied for hasn’t asked for salary. So I’m guessing if it does it’s not merit based.</p>
<p>Many college use merit scholarships to ‘discount’ the price for those who don’t qualify for need based aid.</p>
<p>You would definitely qualify for most merit scholarships.</p>
<p>However, some merit scholarships are targeted at improving diversity and hence family income is a criterion. One of CMC’s merit scholarships, I recall…</p>
<p>They are also targeted at improving geographic diversity, and at increasing the stats in certain majors. You need to apply to schools where you are at the top 10% of their applicant pool if you are looking for merit money.</p>
<p>It depends on the merit scholarship. Some are very upfront in letting you know. Some are not.</p>
<p>As the others have said - it will vary according to the scholarship. My daughter has a merit scholarship from her school that was awarded before we ever submitted financial information so we know income (or lack of) had no impact on that. But there are scholarships at her school that say they do take need into consideration. And a lot of the big merit scholarships out there such as the Gates are based on both merit and need.</p>
<p>Son’s school has three categories of aid: need-based, merit-based, and need and merit-based. We just shoot for merit-only scholarships. Some of them are a bit nutty involving sports or arts or particular majors for those that went to high-school locally or those doing particular kinds of community service.</p>