<p>I got my finalist letter today and am confused about where it says "no Finalist can receive more than one award."</p>
<p>I'm pretty much assured an award from my mom's company, but my first choice college also offers $1000/yr for NMF. Does this mean I can't get both?</p>
<p>I have never heard of this restriction before, and it seems odd because last year my friend got one of the official $2500 awards, and also $2000/yr from Vanderbilt. Does anyone know how this works?</p>
<p>I think it mean more than one award from them, not outside companies or colleges.</p>
<p>You need to do a search on this because there is really good info on this from past posts and years, that explains it very well. I would give you the link but I am woefully un tech savvy.</p>
<p>My s is in the same situation. He is a NMF and my husbands employer is also a sponsor. If he wins the employer sponsor award then he does not win any other awards from NM. Each winner can only recieve 1 award and the corporate (employer) award alway comes first. This way there are more awards they can give out.</p>
<p>The awards are staggered - National Merit sponsored are awarded in March, corporate-sponsored in April, college-sponsored after that (there may be a few colleges that handle the timing differently - check!). Theoretically, you should know about NM-sponsored and corporate-sponsored before the final deadline to name a college. You should also check with the colleges to see how they handle the NM-sponsored and corporate-sponsored. Many colleges will give these students scholarships to make up the difference between those and the college-sponsored scholarships.</p>
<p>I think fireflyscout is right about this...I remember reading somewhere that if you get an award from National Merit, say the $2,500 NM sponsored award, and you want to go to one of the schools that offers a big scholarship for NMF, that the school just reduces their scholarship by the $2,500 from NM so that your award doesn't exceed the costs of tuition, room, board and books. It would be great to hear from anyone who has already been through this process and to of course check specifically with the school you are interested in.</p>
<p>If you look very carefully at the national merit scholarships which are hugh, say at the state schools, you will see they are divided up into 3-4 scholarships to make the total package. Only one of the four is considered the official national merit, with the bulk being added and designated from other areas. If you get the national merit 2500 for instance, then only one portion is substituted which is called the official national merit but the rest from the school you still get. Texas A&M for instance offers 4 seperate scholarships that make up the nmf offer. I believe the one that is official is for 2600. If National merit offers 2500 then just that one part is substituted. They still give you the rest of the other 3 parts. It's meets the National Merit rules, but they just call the other 3 different names and as long as you name them first choice college, you will get the national merit and the other 3 parts. Hope that helps.</p>
<p>S is in a similar situation. He could possibly win a corp NMF from my company which would be announced sooner but his presumed first choice is also an NMF school. The corp one is a tiny portion of the school scholarship. So if the school wants him, you are saying they will find a way to make it work? Can you clarify? Can NMF be used for books and housing and board (on campus I assume?)</p>
<p>If the school scholarships aren't announced until this summer, then you are in the position of deciding on a final school without knowing all the financial information? Is that correct?</p>
<p>Thank you.</p>
<p>What school Tunkertech? If you can tell me I will look it up. Also don't be afraid to ask the school. They want your son. Most of them are more than willing to help. Look and see if the nmf package is made up of several scholarships of which one says National Merit and the other have different names like Director's award, but will still say to get it you must name them first choice. Then they usually give you all the others and just substitute their National merit named scholarship for the corp. You should not lose out, but don't be afraid to talk to the university's national merit office and ask.</p>