<p>I am evidently confused about something. If DS gets a Merit Academic Scholarship to a state flagship university which covers full tuition, some housing and an allowance for books, does this mean he will only get it if we demonstrate financial need? We have fairly low income around $31,000 if I only have to count my income. His dad and I are divorced. I have 3 dependents if I count my two toddler grandchildren who I have recently became the guardian of. I am expecting our EFC to be reasonable. We should definitely have financial need. The cost to attend this school is approximately $13,500/year.</p>
<p>The university has in writing on the webpage the scholarship amount based on your ACT score and GPA. When I ask one of their admission counselors if it was guaranteed they said that as long as you meet the application deadline and the requirements that it usually was because the college has so many alumni contributing to the school. I</p>
<p>Merit academic scholarships are based on merit - not financial need. If he meets the academic criteria he should be eligible - usually such scholarships are given without regard to financial need.</p>
<p>Financial need is different all together and is based on your EFC as calculated by FAFSA based on your income and assets.</p>
<p>There IS something called "merit within need" scholarship. It goes like this:
"The recipient of the Presidential Poo-bah scholarship will receive up to full tuition per year, renewable for three additional years, based on demonstrated need. In the absence of demonstrated need, the Poo-Bah scholar will receive $4000. per academic year."
So if your EFC is very little, you receive full tuition. If your EFC is high, you recieve $4000. If your EFC is somewhere in between....
Be sure you are understanding it correctly if you happen to run into this type!</p>
<p>I had never heard of such a thing until my S received one in one of his financial aid packages. It took me awhile to wrap my head around the meaning and what it would likely look like over 4 years. It can be fine, but just want the OP to be sure he/she understands what is being offered. These weeks can get awfully confusing!
I agree - btw - but maybe I'd go for the "Grand Poo-bah" - only available to the top applicants, of course :)</p>