Yesterday while touring a campus where my S has been offered a nice merit aid scholarship, admissions told me that, as a rule, if a kid needs to take a 5th year, they will extend the merit aid to the 5th year. Is this typical? CC experience with this?
YMMV by college. Some colleges specifically state that merit is for four years only. Others will extend. You need to ask at each place.
Oh…and this could also vary by merit award. It is very possible that some can be extended whole others cannot…at the same school.
Often the award is for 8 semesters.
@thumper1 That’s what I understood as well. His is for four years in the letter, but I got a little wink, wink, nod, nod… it gets extended if needed. Just curious. Not that I’d want him go to the extra year!
I would NOT bank my college payment financial planning on a wink and a nod…especially since you have IN WRITING a letter that says four years only.
Agreed there… it was just a weird interaction and made me wonder if that’s typical. First time through the process and figured someone here would know.
Unless the school puts his offer in writing for a 5th year, I would NOT count on that. Even if the school did it for current 5th year students, who knows WHAT they’ll be doing 5 years from now.