National Merit $2500 Award

<p>So, just to clarify, if you get a corporate scholarship, you are not eligible for the $2500? I’ve heard different things, like you can only qualify for one of three options (corporate, $2500, or college) but I’m getting college and corporate…</p>

<p>penguin10: You can take one, but it is not clear as it sounds. Let us say you have three offers: $2500 scholarship from NMSC, $2000 a year from a corporation and $1000 a year from a school as the NMSC component. In addition the school throws in a tuition scholarship of 50% off. You have to understand one thing: the 50% of tuition is not strictly an NMSC award, it is an addition to the NMSC award. So let us say you take the 50% tuition award. Now you can choose between one of those three: $2500 scholarship from NMSC, or $2000 a year from a corporation or $1000 a year from a school. You cannot take all three.</p>

<p>However it can get a little more complicated: The school may say we will give $25000 a year for National Merit Finalists, but what ever award you get goes to the school. In other words, if the corporation gives $2000 a year, the school takes it to defray a part of the $25000 they are paying you. So it depends upon the school.</p>

<p>I got a call from them the other day because I hadn’t yet marked my first choice school (i was delaying bc I dont know where I have gotten into yet and didn’t know if i should mark a school that doesn’t give NMF scholarships or one that does even if I dont want to go there)- anyway they said they were “considering” me for a non-college based scholarship so i wonder if this is a good sign or not?</p>

<p>National Merit says they will be mailing notices to $2500 award recipients on March 25th.</p>

<p>I really do not think it maters, but you need come up with a choice right now as they need it before they can make the decision. They have to verify it is an accredited US institution. So if it makes you feel better mention a choice from the list of of colleges that you are considering that may not give their own NMSC scholarship. You can always change your mind and they understand this is a tentative choice.</p>

<p>If you get a school Merit scholarship or a Corporate Merit scholarship you can not get the basic $2500 scholarship.</p>

<p>I called and asked. They told me it didn’t matter what school you put as a first choice. They just wanted you to make a “tentative” decision. Most of her schools are non-participating. But, my D’s first choice on the list is a participating school.</p>

<p>That is what I understand. It does not matter what you put now, but if you get more than one scholarship, you can take only one.</p>

<p>Are they calling all undecided people who they are considering for the $2500? Because I’m still undecided and I never got any notification or call. Does that mean I won’t win anything?</p>

<p>Penguin…</p>

<p>If your college has a NMF scholarship, it might have a small portion that is the “official” NMF scholarship. If so, you can’t get that small part AND the corporate one. For instance, my son took the Bama NMF scholarship, but he had to forfeit the annual $1k “official” part so that he could take the annual $2500 corporate one.</p>

<p>However, some colleges offer NMF scholarships w/o participating at all with NMCorp. In that case, you can still get the corporate one.</p>

<p>Do they only mail letters out to Finalists? (In other words, if I don’t get a letter on Thursday, can I assume that I didn’t get the scholarship? Or do I have to wait for a “rejection letter”?)</p>

<p>Yes, you have to choice a college with NMSP, so all scholarship goes to school’s financial office. And you can change your first choice college later also. Schloarship will not be founded till you admit to the college.</p>

<p>You or your school conselor should have recevied the letter from NMSP.</p>

<p>jrs1125, you must be a Finalist first.</p>

<p>BinChen, this is what I think jrs1125 meant</p>

<p>“If i have moved on to become a National Merit Finalist, will I be only notified *only if I get the NMSC scholarship *of $2500? In other words if a person is not awarded the $2500 scholarship do they get a rejection letter or some other type of notification assuming they are National Merit Finalist?”</p>

<p>jrs1125 would that a good statement of your question?</p>

<p>I do not know that answer but I am sure that someone in this forum could answer that.</p>

<p>To clarify, the National Merit people said they will be mailing the $2500 award notifications to the Finalists tomorrow, March 25th, so they wouldn’t be received until a few days later.</p>

<p>About 8,200 of 15,000 Finalist will get awards ($2500 from NMSP, From Corporate as my D got, and from college).
Since you are NMS finalist, your school (you accepted for admission) will have some money for you.</p>

<p>Yes mazewanderer, that’s what I mean. (Thanks for clarifying. I didn’t explain myself very well.) I was already named a Finalist, so I’m just waiting to see if I get the NMSC scholarship of $2500 (I’m not eligible for the other two).</p>

<p>Only a few more days then…ah nervous-making</p>

<p>jrs1125:</p>

<p>I assume you are joining a school that does not award NMSC scholarships? If your school does award one, you will not know now.</p>

<p>I also assume that you do not qualify for any corporate award. Some corporate awards are based on major or your location (area). So there may be a chance.</p>