<p>Schools do vary widely about the requirements to keep merit aid. This is something that we did consider in choosing our son's school, as it would have been REALLY difficult for us to afford him attending without his merit aid (we don't qualify for any need-based aid).
All the kids from his HS have not had problems keeping their merit aid from this school & they give kids a one year grace period if they have problems keeping up their grades. So far, S has done very well -- his U grades are higher than his HS grades were.
I did ask some of the other schools how kids did with retaining their merit awards. One school said that if he missed 4-6 days in a quarter, they'd ask him to withdraw from school & lose all aid (this is a kid who has missed TONS of days of HS). Two of the schools that offered full-rides admitted that many kids do llose their scholarships based on grades.</p>
<p>It is definitely reasonable to ask how many kids lose their merit-based scholarships, what leeway/probationary period/grace period/appeal the student can use if the grades dip below the requirement, etc. The more info you gather, the more informed a decision the student & family can make. Schools should willingly share this info or I'd be very hesitant to attend the school.</p>