<p>I know merit-based scholarship is based on my musical, sport, or other skills, while need-based scholarship (entitlements) is based on financial need. However, when I am looking at a scholarship, how do I know which one it is? If it requires FAFSA or other financial information, is it automatically need-based scholarship?</p>
<p>Merit-based is usually based on your grades, GPA. Athletic and music scholarships are specifically based on your talent.
Need based is based on your family income documentation.
FAFSA is a service, it doesn’t award you money. It generates a worksheet to see if you qualify for federal financial aid programs and at your universities like loans, grants or scholarships. Most of your financial aid will come through your university.</p>
<p>It is hard to tell what you are asking. Where are you looking at a scholarship? on a website, on your financial aid papers, what? </p>
<p>First, merit aid is often given for academic achievement.</p>
<p>FAFSA is usually used to get federal need based aid and the college need based institutional aid. Some colleges will want you to fill it out to get merit aid awards, other not.</p>
<p>On a website, it will usually say if there are income requirements to get an award. Or it might use clues like talking about students who have hardships. If not, you can consider that it is likely a merit award.</p>
<p>Oh, I remember you are QB accepted to Yale. Yale only gives need based awards.</p>
<p>If you are talking about another college why don’t you be more specific/clear/direct?</p>
<p>To complicate matters further, sometimes scholarships have both a need and a merit component. In other words, the award is based on merit, but the dollar amount varies according to need.</p>
<p>Beth…other threads indicate you were admitted to Yale, and are a Questbridge student.</p>
<p>So…please clarify what exactly you are looking for!</p>
<p>I think there is a change in whether FAFSA is required for merit based aid this year. For example, filing FAFSA was a requirement last year for receiving Florida Bright Futures, even though it is an entirely merit based award. This year it is not required.</p>
<p>My daughter was ‘requested’ to file FAFSA at her school even though she is not eligible for need aid because she is accepting athletic aid. I’ll still fill it out, but I don’t think it is required.</p>
<p>On almost all college websites you can find the info by clicking on “admission”, then “Undergraduate” and then “financial Aid.” then different schools use different terminology. Sometimes it is “types of aid” sometimes it is something like “Grants and Scholarships” You have to explore and be persistent. Once you get there there are almost always descriptions of the specific Scholarship requirements.</p>
<p>I was hoping to use merit scholarships to reduce my term-time job or student income contribution ([Yale</a> University Financial Aid > About Outside Aid](<a href=“Welcome | Student Financial and Administrative Services”>Welcome | Student Financial and Administrative Services)). Is it greedy of me to apply for more scholarships when Yale covered almost all of it? I apologize if it is!</p>
<p>I think you should apply for and accept all scholarships you can get, bethelka. It is hard to work while you are in school, and if you can get $2000 in scholarship and not have to work, you can spend that time studying (or sleeping).</p>
<p>Is Yale awarding your need based aid? If so, you need to check YALE’S policy regarding outside scholarships. You do need to report those to Yale. Your outside scholarship will reduce your need. In most cases this results in a reduction of need based aid, beginning with the self help portions (loans first, then work study). Check with Yale to see their policy.</p>
<p>And congratulations to you.</p>
<p>Thank you for all the advice!</p>
<p>Y doesn’t give loans, and yes, they will reduce your WS allocation if you receive outside scholarships. D1 did it and it helped relieve some of the pressure of working so much to earn the entire WS amount.</p>
<p>bethelka, it’s not greedy to apply for and accept merit based scholarships. Those are earned by hard work and talent! Most scholarship applications/websites state the criteria. Usually, if financial info is requested, that is a good hint that need is considered in awarding the scholarships. Sometimes you can’t tell, however. I know of one scholarship that stated on the website and app that it was purely merit based, but financial info was required on the app, and need was considered in selecting the recipients.</p>
<p>OK, so you are talking about outside scholarships since you are already covered by Yale for your need based. I don’t know why you need to distinguish. Just apply for whatever outside scholarships you qualify for.</p>
<p>Don’t be too concerned about working a small amount of hours. My daughter had some pretty great jobs on campus working for professors and as a TA, all which was nice on the resume.</p>
<p>I’m sure merit is based on grade, right?</p>
<p>Jichael, Merit can be based on grades, test scores, talent, etc. some merit scholarships do require awardees to have need.</p>
<p>Bethelka, one of my kids went yo a meet full-need school and won a big national scholarship. Once we knew that work-study was covered (kiddo attended a no-loan school), kiddo turned down additional money and stopped applying. We know plenty of kids who really struggle to get through the community college or state schools and wanted the local scholarships to go to them instead of using it to decrease the school’s grant. We are very thankful to the school but also aware that, with its alumni base, it is in a much better position to recoup the several thousands compared to our local bright kids who didn’t fare quite as well in the admissions lottery. Ymmv. Good luck to you and congratulations on your admission to Yale!</p>
<p>Jichael…please explain the point of your post. </p>
<p>Merit aid is usually based on a combination of GPA and ACT/SAT scores. Or it can be based on talent (e.g. Music, drama or art).</p>
<p>Not greedy at all. My D has a no loan package and her two outside scholarships were used to reduce her work study. </p>
<p>For her she was able to concentrate on school/gpa and enjoy more social activities first semester (she’s premed). </p>
<p>This semester she’s able to consider applying to volunteer and non paying internships in her list of activities which opens up the field of options. She couldn’t do this if she needed a job and were restricted to work study unless she worked more than one job which I did not recommend. Although as a double edged sword she’s no longer eligible for some great guaranteed work study jobs as well.</p>
<p>i agree with thumper1.</p>
<p>Just a reminder that outside merit will not be used to reduce parental contribution. Once the work-study amount is covered, Yale will generally reduce its own aid. The only exception is if you can convince the scholarship association to let you use the money for grad school or health insurance or something like that.</p>