National Merit Scholarship

Paying for College National Merit Aid
61

<p>GFG -- information on how to change your school is included in the award notification. the $2,500 from NM follows to the school you choose. It says something along the lines of as soon as you've made a final choice send them the separate letter that's included (there's another page to send to accept the $2,500. D's is due 4/5.) Each school apparently has a different way of determining whether this money will be in addition to school's financial aid or in place of.</p>

62

<p>Basically, my school offers 4,000 dollars if you do not get the NMSC 2500 dollar award...but if you do get the 2500 dollar award and turn it down to try and get the 4000 dollars instead, NMSC won't give my school the needed paperwork...so by NMSC giving me the award, they in effect cost me 1500 dollars.</p>

63

<p>Are all the NMS awards for one year only?</p>

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<p>The $2500 awards directly from the NMSC are only for one year.</p>

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<p>Does anyone know if all the $2500 award winners have been notified or if that comes out on a "rolling basis"?</p>

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<p>maysixxmom: What you are saying is the case if the student has already gotten an award from the National Merit Corp. itself. Only 2 out of our school's 8 finalists have received this NMC-sponsored money so far--my S wasn't one of the 2. Other students will receive corporate-sponsored awards if they are eligible because their parents' employers participate (my S isn't eligible). The third group may receive a school-sponsored award if the school they are attending participates. The Ivies don't, so I think that means my son will not be receiving anything at all. This if what I understood from my conversation with the women at NMC.</p>

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<p>TheGFG: I received a corporate-sponsored award, and neither of my parents is an employee or even a shareholder.</p>

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<p>frozen-tears: Then I'm guessing your intended major is of interest to that company or you live in the same town where that company operates. This is what NMSC says on its website: "Corporate sponsors designate their awards for children of their employees or members, for residents of a community where a company has operations, or for Finalists with career plans the sponsor wishes to encourage. These scholarships may either be renewable for four years of undergraduate study or one-time awards."</p>

<p>For studiousmom--the site also says "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."</p>

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<p>I know quite a few private schools (including some Ivies) will use the NMSC $2,500 award to eliminate student contribution for the first year.</p>

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<p>
[quote]
Basically, my school offers 4,000 dollars if you do not get the NMSC 2500 dollar award...but if you do get the 2500 dollar award and turn it down to try and get the 4000 dollars instead, NMSC won't give my school the needed paperwork...so by NMSC giving me the award, they in effect cost me 1500 dollars.

[/quote]
Many schools will "make up the difference" between the $2500 and whatever they offer NMScholars, and/or continue it for all 4 years (since the NMcorp $2500 is a one time only award.) Talk to the FA department and ask if they can do that.</p>

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<p>We did not received the great honor of getting a 1-time $2500 award that makes you ineligible for others. Instead we must suffer the shame and humiliation of receiving twice that much EVERY YEAR from a corporate scholarship.</p>

72

<p>come again???</p>

73

<p>Just how much of an honor is the 1-time $2500 award?
There are so many other scholarships that get handed out to NM Finalists that are of greater value and are renewable.
Keep your kind words -- SHOW ME THE MONEY!</p>

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<p>D was VERY honored, thank you. Oh, and she was also humble.</p>

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<p>Any time they want to give my child money based on the hard work he's done, it's OK by me. Most schools will work with students to be sure they aren't penalized by any awards, so please speak with the school your child will be attending before making final decisions about accepting or declining any award--the FAid offices are experienced at dealing with these issues.
Congrats to all our kids whose hard work is paying off by them getting accepted at exciting schools, hopefully with some money to help reduce the load on mom & dad. <grin></grin></p>

76

<p>Does anyone happen to have the list of the colleges that sponsor the national merit scholarship? It would help me out alot. Thank you!</p>

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<p>Here are some webpages you might want to check out. Some of the links don't work, but for the most part, it's pretty helpful. If you want a NM scholarship for the fall of 2006, some deadlines have passed but some schools are STILL accepting applications & will still award full tuition, room & board for NMFs, including Arizona State University.</p>

<p><a href="http://homepage.mac.com/l_j/secondhome/National_Merit.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://homepage.mac.com/l_j/secondhome/National_Merit.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p><a href="http://www.guaranteed-scholarships.com/%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.guaranteed-scholarships.com/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Good luck & congrats!
There are some threads on this subject as well, but I'm not good at finding them. Sorry. Maybe someone else will post the link.
HImom</p>

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<p>to l8nites321:
this should lead you in the right direction:
<a href="http://www.nationalmerit.org/nmsp.php%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.nationalmerit.org/nmsp.php&lt;/a>
:)</p>

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<p>Why is it that you can be a commended student only and earn one of those "special scholarships," when there are finalists, and semi-finalists, who are getting no money at all? Doesn't seem fair.</p>

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<p>No one said the national scholarship programs are particularly "fair." The National Achievement Program is separate from the NMerit program & has different requirements.</p>