<p>has anybody here gotten merit aid from vandy? what do they look at when they give that and how much did you get? i've heard they give it but it's pretty competitive. let me know</p>
<p>i have merit aid, at least i think. if u mean a grant that has been awarded for someone who has excelled in the classroom and has a financial need, then yes i have a merit aid. it has been extremely good to me all 4 years at vanderbilt. i can only speak from my experience and a few close friends, but from what i've seen/heard about, vandy is one of the best schools with financial aid. if you have a need, they will meet it. on the converse, ive also heard there are plenty of people with no aid and paying full out of their pockets... so what ive summed up in 4 years here is that you either have a great package (whether that be financial/scholarship/combination, etc) or you have a great wallet (er, your parents or benefactors do). it would be foolish to think its either 1 or theother as im sure many people are in the gray somewhere between the two, but from my pov, vandy has done an excellent job helping me financially through college.</p>
<p>just to explain further, to be completely honest, part of my initial decision to come to vanderbilt was the great package i received from them between scholarship and financial aid. in comparison, many of the other schools i applied to (same caliber schools), gave me very llttle merit aid, if at all any.</p>
<p>hey thanks! i think i have a good shot at getting merit aid and money is going to be a big part of my decision as well. thanks.</p>
<p>Grants are GREAT at Vandy ... and when you look at your package (hopefully, that day will come next spring for you), take out just tuition/room/board/fees to compare with other schools. Vandy really pads the cost of attendance (resulting in better aid!), so you need to make sure you are comparing apples to apples. They DO meet full need, mostly with grants.</p>