On the website, it currently says that students who have named USC as their first choice and have been made National Merit Finalists WILL BE CONSIDERED for the Presidential 1/2 tuition (without the interview) once accepted. I know before, maybe a couple years ago, it was guaranteed that if you were an NMF and were accepted to the university, you would get the 1/2 tuition scholarship. How about now? I am not talking about the Presidential scholarship you can get after early admittance and the interview and ExploreUSC and all that jazz. I’m only talking about the NMF Presidential scholarship.
I’ve been getting mixed responses, some saying USC standards have changed, others saying they haven’t and that all admitted NMF’s will get the Presidential. Some even told me that only National Merit Scholars get the scholarship. Does anyone have official answers? Or where I can ask to get official answers?
It has been listed this way (will be considered) for several years and USC has continued to award each ACCEPTED NMF (who lists USC as their top choice school) the NMF Presidential. They have not stated any change to this policy for this cycle. I would anticipate things to stay the same, but you could contact your USC admissions counselor (google this) to ask this question specifically.
The university has not announced any change in this policy. ADMITTED National Merit Scholars also receive a $1000 per year scholarship from the National Merit Foundation. Many NM scholars also receive smaller scholarships from their school of choice such as Viterbi, Marshall, Dornsife or Annenberg.
A student must place USC as the No. 1 choice on the form from the National Merit Foundation. This may be done after April 1 when all other financial aid packages have been considered.
@"Georgia Girl" If someone is a NMF and is accepted as a finalist for full-tuition scholarship, will they still get the half-tuition scholarship, if they are not selected for the full-ride ? Or could they end up with no merit-aid at all ?
Just answering CuperinoRaider’s question in case others have the same question. All NMFs that are admitted get that scholarship (Presidential + $1000/year), so no worries. If they wind up getting awarded the Trustee, Mork or Stamps, they don’t stack on the NMF scholarship, they will receive the larger amount scholarship instead. Good luck everyone.
Mythical scenario…
Student does not receive Trustee after interview----Admitted student who is NM Scholar and places USC first will still receive the half tuition NM Scholarship and the $1000 per year scholarship.
Hopeful scenario
Student visits SC, aces the Trustee interview and earns the full tuition Trustee Scholarship.
If you have another question, feel free to send me a private message.
If you’re invited for Trustee & earn it, it doesn’t matter if you’re NMF, they’ll give you T instead. One of my friends was a NMF & still got Trustee (had to be invited though).
And because someone always asks, you cannot stack major scholarships-- for example, you cannot get both the NMF Presidential and regular Presidential. Additionally, because this also always gets asked, NMF Presidential information comes in April-- before the May 1 deadline (as long as you do your part and contact NM with USC as your #1 choice by May 1).
Thank you to everyone who replied! Unfortunately, I didn’t qualify for the Trustee/Pres scholarships from the interviews but the “rejection” email said that every admitted NMF will get the Presidential so the standards has not changed for this year. I have high hopes for NMF!
Some of the schools add smaller grants/scholarships to Presidential Scholarships. These MAY be in the range of $2000 to $7000. As camomof3 wrote large merit scholarships do not stack. For those who applied and QUALIFY it is possible to receive financial aid in addition to a merit scholarship.
No- you cannot stack Deans and NMF Presidential. You can stack NMF Presidential with returning student scholarships and smaller department scholarships (usually in the 2-5K range).
Hello sorry to bring this thread back again. I just received my National Merit Finalist letter! However, based on what was written in the letter, it seems that if a Finalist moves on to become an actual Scholar, they no longer qualify for a college sponsored scholarship (A.K.A. USC Presidential)?? Does that mean I should hope I don’t qualify as a Scholar?
Here’s what was on the letter:
Consideration for a college-sponsored Merit Scholarship award is limited to Semifinalists who qualify as Finalists and who also
report to NMSC that a sponsor college is their first choice
have applied for admission to the sponsor college; and
have NOT been offered any other National Merit Scholarship (corporate-sponsored, National, or another college-sponsored award). No student will receive more than one scholarship offer from NMSC.
So if I happen to become a NM Scholar and receive the $2500 or $1000x4 scholarship, I don’t get the USC NMF Presidential (of course, only if I get admitted)? I hope that’s not the case!
A scholar cannot receive the $2500 dollar AND the USC $1000 per year amount. If admitted, you will receive the half tuition scholarship upon enrollment. It is not necessary to interview for the NMS half tuition award. Choosing the $1000 per year award does not disqualify you from receiving the USC half tuition scholarship.
I have just received my acceptance letter from USC today! I’m so relieved and exited to be admitted but my family keeps reminding me that I won’t be able to attend if we don’t get enough financial aid. UCLA already gave my sister and me almost 100% coverage based on my family’s EFC so I’m really counting on that NMF Presidential to let me enroll in USC. I know that the scholarship notification does not come with the acceptance letter but does anyone know around when it will arrive? I was also wondering, does the NMF Presidential already factor into our financial aid? (Because we are supposed to get half tuition off from the scholarship, we get less university aid?). Again, my apologies for bringing the thread back up again but since my sister and I are the first in our family to go to college, we’re really without knowledge or experience here!
I’m not an expert on FA, and alamemom (who used to post here) is no longer keeping all of us straight on this stuff. She has an excellent thread on USC FA so you should search for that and read up. From my limited knowledge, as long as you list USC as your 1st choice school with NMF, you automatically get the 1/2 presidential. As soon as USC is notified of this status by NMF, they will update your FA. So, take a careful look at your FA statement when it comes. If it does not yet list the 1/2 tuition Pres, don’t panic. But also realize, when it is updated, that may adjust your FA. In fact, Merit $$ (grants) will often be subtracted from any university grant $$ listed as FA before this adjustment. It is not dollar for dollar, as some of your Presidential may replace Work Study or other components. But a lot depends on your family’s Estimated Contribution (as determined by USC–each school calculates this figure differently). If you have already been notified by UCLA that you qualify for 100% coverage, it is likely (but not at all certain–the two schools look at different income/assets) you will do equally fine at USC. Fight on!!
I’m confused. We received son’s aid package and I can’t figure out how it will adjust if he changes his first choice school to USC. If his gift aid amount is 40,000 and he has a university scholarship of 3,750, how would that adjust if he gets the half tuition? The FA office told us it would stack. Were they wrong?
I have never seen them stack half tuition with 40K in need based grants (this would have to almost the full cost of attendance or more)- this isn’t how financial aid is usually done–anywhere. Usually, need based grants and merit scholarships offset each other as Madbean details above.
It would still be worth pursuing the guaranteed half tuition in case your family income drastically changes upward in later years. You’d be locking in the half tuition as a worst case scenario.
