<p>How much money does Vandy give out to National Merit Finalists? I know USC gives out 1/2 tuition (pretty generous), and I'm deciding between the two.</p>
<p>If Vanderbilt accepts you, you are offered $5,000 per year for being a NMF, unless they also offer you another large merit scholarship. In that case, the NMF scholarship is $2,000 per year.</p>
<p>Vanderbilt does offer the possibility of various other merit awards that are unconnected to national merit status. They range from 1/3 tuition to full tuition. See the website. Some require separate applications, some don't.</p>
<p>USC and Vanderbilt are not very much alike. In my opinion, you should not decide in favor of USC simply on the basis of the automatic NM scholarship.</p>