@browniesundae Sure, this is very helpful - thank you for posting. As mentioned, in our case the initial FAN did not inlude a Notre Dame Loan but Grants which, like the merit aid, did not require re-payment. They sure displaced federal subsidized loans with all unsubsidized loans, as you mention above. The federal work-study remained unchanged, which our daughter is quite happy about as it provides her with pocket money over the semester.
Again, individual results will differ as the the saying goes, my above remarks were meant solely as watch out for non-stacking policies of full-need private universities and colleges, as parents/students sometimes get carried away with receiving merit aid and later get disappointed when some/most of it simply replaces other financial aid components .
Yes, it is so important to know how a college treats merit and need-based aid. It is not always clear on the website. Once the college list has been narrowed down, I am a fan of calling FA offices and getting all questions answered. I found most to be very forthcoming and pleasant.
In my DDās case it made a significant difference. The school she chose over ND gave her more need-based aid with no loans (just grants and work study) AND stacked her merit on top.
Best of luck to all ND merit scholarship applicants. And kudos for being invited to apply! (I am an alum, and a little part of me wishes DD were there!)
@browniesundae - During the admitted studentsā weekend I went to in 2018, the Financial presentation covered some of this. The presenter explained it that any additional, outside aid first goes to eliminate the studentās financial obligation. It does not decrease the ND scholarships/grants first. Good luck to you in this journey, Notre Dame is an awesome place to send a child to.
@usma87 Thankfully, I am done with this journey for now But I have another one coming up in 5 years.
I learned a lot talking to financial aid offices on the phone when my twins were applying 2 years ago. My strategy was to be super polite and appreciative, and to keep them talking as long as I reasonably could. I learned a lot of good stuff. Sometimes I found out the answers to questions I didnāt even know I had!
@usma87 Yes, we can confirm the outside scholarship aspect you mention above: outside scholarships for our daughter did not displace Notre Dame financial aid. This holds true until the student has reached the remaining family contribution threshold as defined by Notre Dame, which is the minimum every Notre Dame student has to pay. This does not apply for Questbridge students. Notre Dame Merit Aid scholarships on the other hand are (correctly) not being considered as outside aid by the Office of Financial Aid, therefore not stacked and treated in line with specific family circumstances mentioned above.
Hi friends! Iām a merit scholar at ND and just want to congratulate yāall on getting scholarships (or your children). I am super willing to answer any questions about merit process and how it works/how it factors with need aid (iām fortunate enough to have a full ride as a result of my combo) so feel free to PM me. Iāll also be a host for merit weekend if anyone is invited to attend!
@bachbend if we were selected as finalists, and the scholarship interview weekend overlaps by 1-2 days with our Spring Break trip, would that completely eliminate you from consideration? Or would you be able to go a day later?
@ja83711 as far as I am aware, you have to be there the whole time to be in consideration. Last year, the first day (of your arrival) was just like a dinner and some icebreakers so you could try reaching out. Missing any of the full days would have you missing interviews so I know thatās a solid no. No harm in reaching out, but in my experience you have to go for the whole time to be considered. FWIW, if youāre at a spring break destination they can fly you to and from that place (my friend was in mexico and flew up from there and then went home).
Congrats to all finalists! Does anyone know how to register for the finalist weekend? It gives me the link in the email but when I click on it I am just sent to my regular portal with no additional information. Thanks!
@bachbend I was recently selected as a finalist for the merit scholarship, and I was just wondering, what are are interviews like? I was under the impression that there was only one, but now Iāve been hearing there are multiple + group interviews? Thank you!
@classicvaid CONGRATULATIONS! It depends on the scholarship- mine (which is not the Hesburgh Yusko or Stamps, which have their own process) had 3 short interviews and a group interview. Feel free to PM me though- iād be happy to share my own personal experiences. I will actually be WORKING the weekend with the scholars program so I can offer you support when you get here too!
Hello @bachbend ā I was fortunate to be selected as a finalist for the ND merit scholarship program. Thank you for offering to connect with potential scholars like me. I am new to CC, and am unable to PM, so could you PM me please?
@bachbend Hello! I was selected as a finalist for the merit scholarship. Yet I met the same problem as @MRD2020 didā¦ I donāt know how to PM you, so could you PM me?
But I have another one coming up in 5 years.