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<p>Yes…and the above schools are very competitive for admissions especially for OOS students. So hurdle one…you have to get accepted.</p>
<p>re: merit scholarships…I think the OP is confusing NATIONAL merit scholarships with MERIT scholarships. OP…there are some public universities which have excellent merit awards for students who are at the tippy top of their admissions pool. Check the McNair Scholarship at U of South Carolina, the Pogue at UNC Chapel Hill, Jefferson at UVA. There are not a LOT of these awarded but OOS students are just as eligible as instate.</p>