<p>How are financial aid/ merit scholarships at Amherst?</p>
<p>on the tour it sounded like they have no merit scholarships but the financial aid is incredible</p>
<p>Yeah, the financial aid is need-based only. The assumption is that <em>all</em> students accepted are merit-worthy, so aid is only allocated according to financial need. It is very generous, though, relative to each student's need.</p>
<p>It's fairly generous to the middle class and outstandingly generous to the truly indigent.</p>
<p>They eliminated loans last year, so financial aid is grants and work-study.</p>