<p>My son received a small merit based scholarship (Hurray!) to one of his top 3 choices. We were thrilled until we read the fine print which said he needs to maintain a 3.2 GPA each semester. I checked around with other schools which are ranked higher in USNews and found that most required a more reasonable 2.75 for freshman year (not each semester), and I found none higher than 3.0. This scholarship he was offered is not even their highest level of scholarship--that requires a 3.5.</p>
<p>I realize that I cannot dictate the requirements for renewability, but I am wondering how many scholarships are renewed each semester. Other than calling the college directly, is there any way to find out this information?</p>
<p>That's a great question. A lot of us are in that situation. I've already told my son that his "job" each year is to maintain the renewable scholarship. He needs to think of it almost like a salary. If, for example, he were to lose the scholarship after the first year, it would be a loss of a significant sum of money that I wouldn't necessarily be able to (or even want to) replace.</p>
<p>which is a small, non-need based, award given by the Office of Financial Assistance is renewable each year based on a 3.0 gpa. I can't remember if it has to be a 3.0 gpa at the end of each year or a 3.0 for each year.</p>
<p>Ask if it holds true for the first year, or is that year a "bye". One small, "lower tier" LAC has requirments for their scholarships, but readily admitted they don't enforce them until after the second year, giving the first year students a chance to settle in, so to speak.</p>
<p>The required gpa was one reason my son chose Rensselaer over Case. While the merit aid he got from RPI was greater, the net cost to us would have been about the same. However Rensselaer's merit scholarships were guaranteed for 4 years regardless of gpa while Case required something like a 3.2.</p>
<p>Most merit awards that he looked at required at least a 3.0 gpa.</p>
<p>A friend's daughter attended a small LAC with a merit scholarship. Her gpa dipped below 3.0 so she lost it. Fortunately, she buckled down and got it back up above 3.0 and it was reinstated. I do not know if that is the policy at all colleges though.</p>
<p>I wish there were more systematic reporting by colleges on merit money, like statistics on how many students manage to keep it all four years. After hearing a few stories from people, I've gotten the feeling that it sometimes works as a teaser - kids are enticed to a school but lose the merit money after the first year because it's difficult to comply with requirements. On the other hand, if a student is awarded money strictly on the basis of need, the student just has to be in good standing to continue to receive aid (a lower threshold). SOmetimes it works out for kids, but I feel badly for families that choose a school based on a merit award that disappears after the first year. That first year can be difficult to adjust to for even the best students.</p>
<p>My son received a scholarship that is supposedly merit AND need based (although our EFC is way high) - it is clearly a "signing" incentive. What concerns me is that they say it has to be reapplied for each year - and I don't trust that they'll renew it next year. He has better offers so I hope he doesn't want to choose this school.</p>
<p>chocolate - my son just rec'd a scholarship which requires him to maintain a gpa above a 3.5, especially scary, since like many universities these days, an A & an A+ may be a 4.0, but an A- is a 3.7, so essentially, he would almost have to maintain straight As. he's certainly capable, but that's a pretty hefty burden. doesn't leave much room for exploring. will have to talk to the school - any advice?</p>
<p>ASU's required 3.5 ea semester or it would be lost. I didn't feel comfortable with that-son didn't seem to mind. Son is at Redlands he needs a 3.something to renew after the third year-the letter said something about sometimes failure is part of exploring/learning. Son has done better than the 3.5 but it sure does make things easier knowing that a bad class isn't going to wipe out a ton of tuition.</p>
<p>Years ago USC was famous for leaving lot of us with practically nothing in our last year. I still remember wondering where the money would come from - I think I was Jazzed when I found out that I could borrow all my tuition.</p>
<p>I believe DD's scholarship from Rice requires a 2.8 to keep it. Very comfortable requirement! I think if you are considering a school with a high GPA requirement for merit scholarships you should look at the GPA's of students in the major your kid is considering. If the average GPA is way low, maybe it is time to consider another school! Sometimes that info is available on the net.</p>
<p>I actually feel guilty for not being more appreciative, but my son is has not been a high achiever in high school. Lots of honors, 4 AP's, mostly B's and B+'s in weighted classes. (and yes, we are very proud of him!) The criteria for the scholarship is: top 25% rank, over 1100 SAT and a weighted average of A (and you only need 2 of the 3 criteria). So although his weighted average is an A, his unweighted is a B. Throw in the major adjustment a freshman encounters and it is quite possible he won't achieve a 3.2.</p>
<p>I agree with Lefthandofdog that this may be a teaser to entice him to attend this school, and he will be stuck with an additional loan the second semester, not just the second year. The thing that bothers me about this is that the college in question has harder requirements than colleges that are ranked way higher. (20 spots or more!) When another poster tells me that her child's requirement at Rice(a very prestigious school attracting top caliber students) is a 2.8 , I resent the 3.2 requirement.</p>
<p>I'm in a precarious situation, because he truly believes he will work as hard as he can and has a big incentive to do well. I don't want him to think we have no confidence in him! But, we also don't want him to have this huge added pressure his first semester. I was a top student in high school with rarely anything lower than an A and was devastated when my gpa came in at a 2.9 my first year. I have had many friends tell me that their own high achieving kids did not bring home straight A's when they went off to college. </p>
<p>There is one public (out of state for us) that he really wants to attend, and now I am crossing my fingers for an acceptance. It costs 13K less, and he won't have the pressure of maintaining a 3.2. On the other hand, kids tend to rise to the expectations set before them. This is difficult!</p>
<p>One thing to keep in mind is that non-need based scholarships/merit $$'s may have individdual expectations/GPA requirements to keep them - individually - they may NOT be governed by the school itself - but by the individual scholarship itself. </p>
<p>Each school has the right to set their own standards for scholarships/merit aid $$'s with the expectation that the student awarded the merit aid will continue to live up to the that expectation - as they have in the past in order to qualify for it initially.</p>
<p>You have probably already done this, but it does help to contact the FA or admissions office (the "luring" scholarships are often administered by admissions, not FA) and get in writing answers to any of your questions. Is the scholarship for all 4 years if he maintains his GPA? Is there a grace period if he slips below for one semester? Will his scholarship affect his need-based financial aid or loan/grant ratio? In our case, I emailed the FA office and was floored when I got in writing that my DD's packaging would stay the same all 4 years, provided she met the minimal and very reasonable requirements, and our need stayed the same. I was surprised that they didn't provide this (positive) information in her Fa package; it was only when I inquired that I found out.
So ask, ask, ask. For the OP, I would ask (by email - so it is in writing) admissions for the percentage of students who keep/lose their awards due to academic criteria. Also percentage of students in son's major field of interest who lost award. It never hurts to ask questions such as these - expecially as he has already been accepted and has the merit offer in hand!</p>
<p>Our S is a Freshman at a Univ. that gave him a half tuition merit scholarship with a 3.2 requirement. He has been able to maintain it so far. At this school if you miss it you can gain it back the next semester or whenever you hit the threshold. Since most students get merit $ from schools where they are in the top 10% of applicants there is a high probability they will be able to maintain the GPA. Remember they give this merit $ to attract top students and compete with more selective schools that may have also offered your child admission. Its in their interest not to lose these students so if there is a legitimate reason for a lower GPA on a particular semester many will work with the student so they don't lose it so long as its not because the student was lazy. many kids who worry about this will choose classes and professors that may be known for giving more generous grades. Of course, thats easier to do at a large school with lots of choices in calss selection.</p>
<p>I guess what scares me about this GPA requirement is a lot of unexpected things can happen in the first year of college.Remember the student at Guilford, who got sick, fell through the cracks,failed a course and ended up getting a letter home over winter break stating that he had to pack his belongings and leave.</p>
<p>I know in my own house, my daughter who was rarely sick when she was home, was out of class for 2 weeks, (flu, then a viral infectiton) on a school that has a quarter system and winter term is only 9 weeks intead of the regular 10 . The time out of class under normal circumstances would have been enough for her to fail on the attendance requirement alone (she contacted her dean, who got verification from student health and the emergency room for her illness and contacted her professors. Lesson learn from the Guilford situation). </p>
<p>Never the less, she expects to get a ding because of the missed classes and late assignments, labs that had to be made up as a result from her being out of class (we'll find out soon enough). Now she goes to a school with a high warm fuzzy factor, what happens to the student does not have this. </p>
<p>In addition, we love our kids, and on a good day we think they walk on water but we all know that there is a big difference between a h.s. and a college course. </p>
<p>What happens to the kid that who fills their first semester with gut courses because in their mind they got through AP, or the community college course so they can get through this? What happens to the kid who is having a hard time adjusting, going through a slump because they are unhappy at school? </p>
<p>I am not saying that students should not make every effort to do their best work, but there are always variables that we don't take into consideration.</p>
<p>Case Western requires a 2.5 in the first year and a 3.0 in subsequent years, renewable. I know a student there who said that so many kids have scholarships there that they get together for study groups and that no one he knows ever lost a scholarship.</p>
<p>Syracuse requires a 2.5</p>
<p>I heard that Ohio Wesleyan requires a 3.5 (!) and on studentsvreview.com people are complaining about losing it.</p>
<p>I had the same thoughts as Sybbie especially since my nephew lost his (large) merit scholarship due to a bout of pnemonia which caused his GPA to dip below the required amount. I don't know what the GPA requirement was and I don't know if he can renew the scholarship in the fall. He's currently a sophomore in an engineering program.</p>
<p>As people have said, call the admissions and/or financial aid office to ask about these issues. They will probably have the answers. I know that at my college, gpa's were reviewed at the end of each semester; if the gpa was lower than specified, a warning letter would be issued. Usually if the gpa was still below the scholarship standard after the next semester, the scholarship award would be reduced, not completely taken away. This would be if the lower gpa was reasonably close to the required standard, eg. pulling a 2.9 vs. 3.2.</p>
<p>If it was much lower; like a 2.2 vs. 3.2, it would probably be revoked, with a letter stating EXACTLY what the student needed to do in order to have the scholarship re-instated.</p>