National Merit Scholars

<p>So if I listed a first-choice college that gives merit aid, am I ineligible for the $2500 merit award or the corporate-sponsored award? I listed my safety as my first choice, but I'll be (hopefully) attending my reach school that doesn't give merit aid. :( And also, have all letters been sent out, or have the people on the west coast still not received the letters?</p>

<p>I've got the same problem here, collegebound123.</p>

<p>I was also afraid that my son wouldn't get the $2,500 NMScholarship because he listed a college that provides merit aid to NMFinalists. However, he did get the NMScholarship.</p>

<p>Apparently, the $2,500 award recipients are selected first - without regard to which college is listed.</p>

<p>yay it's the only scholarship i've gotten!</p>

<p>I guess all the winner have already been informed by now?</p>

<p>All three of the scholarship types are trademarked. The $2500 scholarships are for those students who would not be eligible for corporate awards or who will not be attending a school that makes institutional awards. All the scholarships are of equal presitige.</p>

<p>From the Web site:</p>

<p>"Merit Scholar® Designees
Beginning in March and continuing to mid-June, NMSC notifies approximately 8,200 Finalists that they have been selected to receive a Merit Scholarship® award. Merit Scholarship awards are of three types:"</p>

<p>So they're still in the process of informing, and it will last until June?
That seems strange to me.</p>

<p>People who've received full-ride scholarships for other reasons have to turn down the $2500. A student also can receive a $2500 scholarship but choose to attend a NM school that gives a larger grant to finalists. Since you can only get one NM award, they would also have to decline.</p>

<p>Presumably, NMSC is waiting to find out who declines the $2500 offer and then passing it on to other Finalists who didn't quite make the original cut.</p>

<p>I'm sorry I am confused, can someone who doesn't get offered the 2500 in the initial round (ie me) still become a scholar, or not. There are 8000 scholars, right. Also, if you had a school down that gave aid as your first choice, and you don't attend that school, would you then be eligible for a $2500 scholarship, or not because you are only a finalist? Help appreciated.</p>

<p>E1A: The best thing to do would be to call and ask them, but my understanding is that you still have a chance at being a scholar until June. I don't know about the corporate or college specific awards since those have a defined applicant pool, but as far as I know, NMSC will give out all 2500 of its $2500 scholarships. I think all 15000 finalists are considered for these — if you accept at a school that gives NM aid, that's one of the situations where you'd have to turn down the $2500 — then someone else would be offered the $2500.</p>

<p>So there's a small possibility you could still be a scholar, as far as I can tell, but you should call and find out for sure.</p>

<p>"People who've received full-ride scholarships for other reasons have to turn down the $2500."
I don't believe this is true. My S, for example, has been offered a full ride at the school he named as his first choice school. Since his full ride is funded from many sources, the school's national merit funds will be used as one of those sources.
A finalist can be come a scholar in one of 3 ways:
1) Offered one of the National Merit Corp's $2500 scholarships which are not school specific. These are one time only scholarships.
2) Offered one of the Corporate scholarships - don't believe these are school specific, but are generally awarded to children of employees. These may be one time only or renewable - each corporation sets their own rules.
3) Offered a National Merit Scholarship from one of the participating colleges - student must designate this college as his first choice school with the National Merit Corp. These may be one time only or renewable, each college sets their own rules, but there is a maximum amount of official National Merit $'s a school can offer. A school can, however, offer other sholarship $'s to students who are National Merit Finalists.<br>
A student can only accept one of these 3 types of official National Merit scholarships. I suppose a student who is offered one of the $2500 scholarships but who is planning to attend a participating college that offers more than that (ie $750/yr for 4 yrs = $3,000) would turn down the $2500 and accept the $'s from the college. BUT, I don't know if that's possible. You would need to check with the National Merit folks about this.
It is important to note that if you have accepted any one of the 3 types of National Merit Scholarships and designated a college, then decide to attend a different school, you will lose the scholarship.<br>
If you have questions, you should call National Merit, it can be quite confusing.</p>

<h1>2 Corporate sponsored scholarships are not school-specific and not always offered to children of employees. My son got a corporate sponsored one where we are not employees.</h1>

<p>From what I understand, corporations inform the NM organization the types of students that they would like their award to go to and NM selects the students.</p>

<p>I believe the corporate-sponsored awards will follow the student to any accredited US school if he changes his first choice - so long as he notifies NMSC before they cut the check to the wrong school in September!</p>

<p>Also - there is some quirk in the first payment - for first semester frosh only - NMSC will not cut the check until something like 30 days after the first term begins, so you will be carrying an outstanding balance for that amount and paying interest on it....schools are aware of this and usually will credit back the interest once the NMSC check is applied to your account - usually all's well by end of October. For subsequent payments, NMSC checks go out much earlier.</p>

<p>
[quote]
All three of the scholarship types are trademarked. The $2500 scholarships are for those students who would not be eligible for corporate awards or who will not be attending a school that makes institutional awards. All the scholarships are of equal presitige

[/quote]
No. They pick the $2500. NMC winners first. Even if you attend a school that makes institutional awards you can get a NMC sponsored scholarship. My daughter did.

[quote]
A student can only accept one of these 3 types of official National Merit scholarships. I suppose a student who is offered one of the $2500 scholarships but who is planning to attend a participating college that offers more than that (ie $750/yr for 4 yrs = $3,000) would turn down the $2500 and accept the $'s from the college.

[/quote]
Every school we researched that offers institutional NMScholarships will allow you to use the $2500 NMC-sponsored scholarship for the first year, then will continue it in the following 3 years at a lower level ($750 if no need up to $2000 if you have need.)</p>

<p>anxiousmom - Thanks for the clarifications. This whole thing is confusing!</p>

<p>I got it too, still deciding where to use it for.</p>

<p>2500 can be used anywhere no matter what, just let them know what school its for</p>

<p>If you received a $2500 National Merit scholarship please post your stats.</p>

<p>PSAT
SAT I
Unweighted GPA
Child of Employee?</p>

<p>230something
1560
4.0
i don't think so</p>

<p>hopefully attending duke (national merit increases the chances of that...30K a year is ouch)</p>

<p>BG123456: I said "Every school that we researched" continues the NMS money for the following 3 years. However, we didn't research all schools, so be SURE to call or email any school you are interested in and ask them specifically! I would hate to steer you wrong on your school.</p>