Either/or for $2500 vs. school's offer?

Paying for College National Merit Aid
1

<p>I'm going to Indiana University next year, and this is their policy.</p>

<p>IU National Merit Scholarship
$4,000 ($1,000 per year)
IU awards this scholarship to ALL National Merit Finalists who indicate IU as their first choice through the National Merit Scholarship Program. </p>

<p>I was a finalist, and today I got a letter for $2500 from National Merit designating me as a Scholar or whatever. Do I get both scholarships? Or do I have to pick between the two, in which case I would obviously pick the one IU gives me.</p>

<p>On the letter from NM it "As indicated in your offer, the scholarship amount will not be affected by any other monetary awards you receive." And on my IU account there's a list of my scholarships and the $1,000 is on there already.</p>

<p>Sorry if this question has been asked a million times. NM is super confusing.</p>

2

<p>Talk to IU and ask them. They will not allow you to have both scholarships but some schools will allow you to take $2500 for the first year and $1000 per year for the next three years making it a total of $5500 by combining the scholarships but not in any given year i.e. they will most probably not allow you to take $4000 +$2500.</p>

3

<p>I agree with mazewanderer. Talk with IU. My daughter is going to Auburn with the same offers and Auburn will substitute the first year’s $1000 for the $2500, but allow her to receive the $1000 from the school each additional year.</p>

4

<p>I called IU today and they said I can receive both, because the IU one is just recognition for being a Finalist (every Finalist gets it), whereas the National Merit one is from the corporation itself. Hooray!</p>