Guaranteed Merit Scholarships

Paying for College
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<p>I am new to the how to pay for college challenge. While I have found many articles, posts and blogs on scholarships I am interested in finding schools that offer guaranteed merit based scholarships. The University of Alabama and Ohio University very clearly define that if you have X GPA and Y ACT score you will receive X amount of scholarship(s).
Are there any other schools that give you a clear picture of what you are guaranteed to get if you hit certain academic achievements?</p>

<p>Any help in locating other schools like the University of Alabama would be greatly appreciated.</p>

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<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1348012-automatic-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1348012-automatic-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/848226-important-links-automatic-guaranteed-merit-scholarships.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/848226-important-links-automatic-guaranteed-merit-scholarships.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>The first thread contains full tuition and full ride scholarships only. The second includes smaller scholarships.</p>

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<p>How much merit do you need? </p>

<p>In other words, how much can you spend each year? for instance, if you can pay $15k a year (approx), then your child would need a full tuition scholarship. Then, your $15k would pay for room, board, books, fees, etc.</p>

<p>Since you’re new to the process, you may not realize how expensive room, board, fees, and books can be. At many schools, those costs alone can be $15k+</p>

<p>If you can only spend $10k per year, then your child can take a $5k per year student loan, and he’d still need a full tuition merit scholarship.</p>

<p>If you can pay more than $15k per year, then your child can get by with a merit scholarship that is less than full tuition. </p>

<p>It all depends on what you can afford. Many people get excited about a $10k per year scholarship, but if the school costs $50k, and they can’t afford the remaining $40k, then the merit isn’t enough.</p>

<p>I think U Alabama is the highest ranking school to offer those full tuition assured merit scholarships for those stats. The other schools offering the same will be lower ranked schools…or will require higher stats.</p>

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<p>*D has a 3.9 unweighted GPA, 32 ACT, 1370 on the SAT, marching band and some school activities. Even with a potential increase of 2 points on the ACT and 100 points on the SAT D will just be breaching the top 25% percentile. Unless we get some unforseen “hook” there is absolutely nothing to make D stand out over the the thousands of other applicants. *</p>

<p>You mention that your D will be an engineering major. If she applies to Alabama as an eng’g major, not only would she get the free tuition, but she’d also get $2500 per year stacked on top.</p>

<p>Don’t know if you’ve visited Bama, but it has a brand new mega-sized Science and Engineering Complex…gorgeous and state of the art. The entire campus is gorgeous and very well maintained. </p>

<p>Please visit the Bama forum here on CC. It is very active and you’ll meet students and parents from all over the US. And, many are eng’g majors. My younger son is graduating from Bama in May with a ChemEngineering degree. </p>

<p>(keep in mind that all schools’ posted scholarships are for the current app year. Schools can change their offers over the summer for next fall’s applications. I don’t expect Bama to change their offers, but we won’t know til about may/june. That also applies to the other schools.)</p>

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<p>Thanks for the information about Bama. I was aware that Bama offered an additional $2500 for engineering majors. Did your son receive any additional merit awards beyond the free tution and the $2500? </p>

<p>The one downside to Bama is the cost for room and board is high compared to many universities.</p>

<p>Do you feel your son received a quality education at Bama? Good professors and classes? What were the things he did not like about Bama? </p>

<p>We are planning to visit Bama in June (if tours are available). Any suggestions on how to approach tours, interviews, applying … </p>

<p>I had hoped to spend about $6,000 out of pocket. I believe Bama’s Room and Board is 15K a year so I am left with a $6500 gap. I know that loans are an option but I would prefer not to do this until the junior and senior years.</p>

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<p>Thank you for sharing the links.</p>

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<p>*IThanks for the information about Bama. I was aware that Bama offered an additional $2500 for engineering majors. Did your son receive any additional merit awards beyond the free tution and the $2500? *</p>

<p>He rec’d several other scholarships. His education cost us very little. He has no loans. </p>

<p>The one downside to Bama is the cost for room and board is high compared to many universities.</p>

<p>Not really. You have to compare “apples with apples”. Other colleges have standard doubles and Bama has those as well. Bama’s standard doubles are a similar price or LESS than other colleges.</p>

<p>You are looking at the deluxe Super Suites, which aren’t required. Those Super Suites cost about $4k more per year. It’s not fair to compare the prices of private bedrooms in essentially apt-style living with the prices of standard doubles (or triples!!)</p>

<p>Also…at Bama, the pricey “all you can eat” meal plan is only required for frosh year. So, after that, (especially girls) students usually go with a much cheaper plan (or no plan!). </p>

<p>*Do you feel your son received a quality education at Bama? Good professors and classes? What were the things he did not like about Bama? *</p>

<p>Yes. Both of my kids received an excellent education. </p>

<p>My older son (math major) graduated 2 years ago and was accepted to every PhD program he applied to, including elite univs. While at Bama, he did a summer REU, a summer VIGRE, and a summer internship for an aerospace corp. He was also in Computer-based honors. </p>

<p>My younger son (Chem Eng’g) has had very good profs. He’s had some excellent summer REU internships. He’s also pre-med and had an excellent med school app process this year. Right now he’s deciding between 3 of his med school acceptances. That said, his eng’g classmates that weren’t premed, have had co-ops/internships and will be immediately employed after graduation. </p>

<p>My kids really love Bama. They haven’t complained about anything. Seriously. They’ve had an excellent experience mixing academics with a full-college-experience. </p>

<p>*We are planning to visit Bama in June (if tours are available). Any suggestions on how to approach tours, interviews, applying … *</p>

<p>Go online and schedule your tour as soon as you’ve picked your date. …try for an early morning time! Don’t bother with the “info session”, you’ll get that info here pretty much on the Alabama forum on College Confidential which is VERY active.*</p>

<p>[University</a> of Alabama - College Confidential](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-alabama/]University”>University of Alabama - College Confidential Forums)</p>

<p>After you’ve scheduled your tour, send an email to the Honors College:</p>

<p>In the email include:</p>

<p>Student’s name and contact info</p>

<p>Date and time of the Campus tour that you’ve reserved.</p>

<p>GPA and test scores (include NMSF status)</p>

<p>Likely majors*</p>

<p>Career interests (including med, law, etc)</p>

<p>Anything particular that you want to see. *If you have an interest in seeing the new Science and Engineering Complex, let them know.</p>

<p>Honors Recruitment
Allison Verhine
Coordinator
269 Nott Hall
205-348-5534
<a href=“mailto:allison.verhine@ua.edu”>allison.verhine@ua.edu</a></p>

<p>Susan Alley
Assistant Coordinator
270 Nott Hall
205-348-5599
<a href=“mailto:susan.alley@ua.edu”>susan.alley@ua.edu</a></p>

<p>Allison and her assistant will arrange the rest of the day…meeting with faculty related to major, honors college faculty, touring honors dorms, etc.</p>

<p>Sometimes mail goes to their SPAM folders, so call them if you haven’t heard back within a few business days. These ladies do an excellent job and work very hard</p>

<p>I had hoped to spend about $6,000 out of pocket. I believe Bama’s Room and Board is 15K a year so I am left with a $6500 gap. I know that loans are an option but I would prefer not to do this until the junior and senior years.</p>

<p>Again, R&B doesnt’ have to be that much if you go with the standard doubles found at most schools. (the supersuites are around $9500)</p>

<p>Also, since eng’g kicks in an add’l $2500 per year, that also mitigates some costs.</p>

<p>You’re going to face the same problem (or worse) at all schools. If your budget is $6k and you don’t want your D to take out loans, then where can she go to college and only owe $6k after merit? She’d have to go to quite a lower ranking school, which it sounds like she’s opposed to going. </p>

<p>As I mentioned above, Bama is the highest ranking school (with engineering) to offer assured full tuition for OOS students with an ACT 32. At higher ranked schools, your D would get about $10k per year at schools that costs $40k+. </p>

<p>I understand the desire to avoid loans, but if your D is offered sub loans, she should take them from frosh year on. Why not? And, she can work over the summer to mitigate some expenses…like books and misc costs.</p>

<p>Is your D a likely NMSF? What was her PSAT? What state are you in?</p>

<p>I’m guessing that you’ve made it clear to your D how much you’ll spend each year. IF not, do so. She needs to know what her parameters are and how aid/merit work so that she doesn’t naively think that various schools will give her more than she’d likely get.</p>

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<p>That’s not really the case. The supersuites are quite expensive, but the projected cost of a standard double for next year is around $5800. Projected cost of a triple is $3790. I don’t think that’s out of line with other schools when you’re comparing like accommodations. The meal plan is pricy - around $3150, but it is all-inclusive. No limits, all you can eat, as many meals as you want, drop by for a soda or a snack any time, take food back to your room, etc. And it’s only required freshman year; after that you can get a smaller meal plan or no meal plan at all. Again, if you compare like plans, that is not out of line with what other schools charge. In addition, you have to buy $600 in dining dollars over the course of the year, but if you don’t use them, you can get them refunded at the end of the year. My D has about $550 dining dollars left with a month of school remaining, so I expect she’ll be getting a big refund.</p>