FIS National Merit Finalists Latest Info

Hi, my son is a national merit finalist and he listed UF as his first choice way back in Oct., and last night he saw on his financial aid report that UF had given him a $2000 national merit scholarship but there was no mention of the FIS. He’s sent an email to his listed financial aid advisor, but I’ve heard that they are very slow to answer. I think the merit scholarship from UF was the only thing left that he needed to get to qualify for the FIS, but I’m still concerned that it didn’t show up. Also, he hasn’t received any national merit letters from UF, only the one for the presidential scholarship.

@ProudParentFL I know they give the official award in May, but I was wondering when we’d receive some notification along the lines of “We haven’t given out official awards yet, but you’ll be getting an NM award,” because last year around this time, the NM finalists were getting “predicted” awards. However, now my original question is irrelevant, because it appears they have indeed added those “predicted” awards to financial aid reports!

@momfromfla Thanks so much for posting that, omg! I saw an email about financial aid in my UF email inbox but didn’t even check it, I was too busy checking for my honors acceptance. But because of your post I just checked my financial aid report too and saw a predicted NM award! I think that your son is good to go. They won’t offer the FIS until later - in May, after the enrollment deadline, so if he was waiting to enroll (like I was) it’s all good now. The predicted NM award was all he needed - it means that he will qualify for FIS. And the same goes for me… so exciting!

@Anglograce Yeah, I think it will be OK. I was just hoping the FIS would show up now as “predicted.” I’m a born worrier so I will feel better when everything is in writing. Thanks for the encouragement!

Still hasn’t shown up on mine yet. @momfromfla - Did your child already accept enrollment with UF?

No, he was waiting to hear about the financial aid package and from a couple of other schools. The predicted national merit award did show on his aid package, so I figured it would show the predicted FIS too, but it didn’t. It’s probably not a big deal, I would just feel better if I saw it listed there. But I think all he needed was for UF to designate him for a National Merit scholarship and he qualifies for the FIS, as long as he goes to Florida.

The FIS does not show up until your student has registered for classes at preview at least that is how it worked with my kid last year. Remember it is based on credit hours taken. Total cost of attendance- (Bright Futures award + NM award). Does that make sense?

OK, but I thought it was whatever UF has down as cost of attendence. I had read on some post from last year that people were seeing $0 down as what they would owe on their financial aid package. But this is all new to me so it is probably all all right. He got the national merit scholarship which should translate to the FIS so I just need to chill and probably once he accepts enrollment and sends in that deposit we might start getting more info from UF. I appreciate the people on this forum helping me calm down.

Why would UF make this whole deal so opaque? I can totally understand momfromfla being nervous given that it is so late in the game for college commitments and nothing is in writing from UF. Isn’t it UF’s interest to be advertising this great scholarship from the rooftops? My daughter’s friends are NM finalists and have heard nothing about the scholarship.

@Anglograce Did the predicted National Merit award show up after designating UF as your first choice to the National Merit corporation? I haven’t done that yet and I don’t see any National Merit predicted award in my financial aid report.

@collegegirl61 My son did designate UF as his first choice and the national merit scholarship did show up as predicted. Just not the FIS. It does seem like UF would post some sort of explanation on their financial aid web page explaining the procedures so people wouldn’t be emailing and calling them to ask the same questions. Not that we’ve gotten any response to our emails!

My daughter also designated UF as her first choice and I have heard nothing from UF regarding the FIS. The contact person for FIS was out of the office all last week and no response to my email this morning. Frustrating to say the least. We haven’t gotten anything from National Merit since her Finalist letter in February – did anybody get an award letter directly from NMSC?

@flmom1121 I think National Merit doesn’t mail out the school-sponsored letters until May 1. That’s what the timeline I have says. And, yeah, I haven’t heard back from UF either.

We had corresponded with someone at UF regarding NM and FIS. They said anyone who put Florida as their first choice would get their NMF award, after which they send a list to the state of the students they gave that award to. Those students would then get the FIS because their award from UF would trigger it. Looking on my daughters page, the NMF award does show. I know it depends when you make that first choice designation because National Merit sends a list once a month starting March 1st. So, if you didn’t make it on the first list your name may not reach UF until April 1st or even May or June 1st. After that they take time to process it. I plan to call them though because what I found strange was that it said predicted with respect to the Bright Futures award which comes from the state but made no similar “predicted” FIS which you would think it would have since it showed the NMF award. I hope someone will be able to clarify that. I had been told it would be Mid April before we would get confirmation of FIS from the state assuming you are in the first grouping. If we get anything more I will post. At least we have in writing via email that she will definitely receive it. Since it is money awarded by the state though, and not UF who wrote the letter, I’m not sure it would do us any good in the event of a discrepancy.

Finally heard back from UF - FIS has been renamed the Benacquisto Scholarship and they said that the financial aid form that shows the awards/loans, etc., should update to reflect the Benaquisto Scholarship after they are done verifying all the National Merit Scholars - which they are working on right now.

That is so funny because they tried to get that through last year but the senate did not get it approved. That is named after the Senator who first brought this scholarship to the senate! Cool! But it may confuse people and especially guidance counselors! https://www.flsenate.gov/senators/s30

http://www.sfa.ufl.edu/types-of-aid/scholarships/#FIS

My daughter’s predicted on her financial aid site still has “FIS”.

What if you haven’t applied for financial aid? How do you find out?

Does anyone know when the next roster from NMSC will go to UF? My S has still not selected UF as his first choice as he is still waiting to hear from one other school which is also an NMSC sponsoring school.

Another question: A thread from last year, it says that UF only selects 70 kids to give the college sponsored award to. Is there any validity to this? I had been told that as long as UF was selected as first choice by the NMSC deadline, and if the finalist hadn’t qualified via the corporate or NMSC award, that the school would give them the college sponsored award in order for them to qualify. Why would they limit the # to 70? The FIS $ is from the state. Wouldn’t UF want as many FIS kids to come to their school as possible?

I just found out that the next roster is being sent out this morning. The next one after that will be on May 2nd.