<p>So i'm a national merit scholarship finalist and I'm debating what to put as my first college choice... anyone have any info on how much Chicago shells out to the national merit kids? or maybe how its related to the extraneous merit aid?</p>
<p><em>bump</em> I'd like to know as well. I'm about to change my 1st choice to uchicago</p>
<p>Chicago gives $1000/year to students who receive no need-based aid and $2000/year to those who do.</p>
<p>Mmm, not quite. It's a one-time award:</p>
<p>Chicago's</a> Uncommon Application: Bye bye, credentials</p>
<p>Unalove,
If it's really a one-time award, that is a policy change that has happened in the last three weeks. DS spoke to someone in FA February 12th, right after he got his NMF letter, to find out what Chicago does and how many NMF awards are given out so he could determine the best way to proceed. He was told it was $1,000 per year ($2,000/year with need) to all NMFs who indicate Chicago as their first choice by the May cutoff (i.e., they give them out to all NMFs, not just a few).</p>
<p>Boo hiss if they are reducing NMF awards!!!!! ;(</p>
<p>Boo hiss, indeed! I was always under the impression that it was awarded each year...</p>
<p>On the returning students' page, there are instructions for renewing one's NMF award, so yeah, it has been four years in the past.</p>
<br>
<p>_></p>
<br>
<p>I knew it was a good idea to send out that postcard before it was too late...</p>
<p>That's about 2% of what it costs to go there. I certainly hope there's more merit money from other sources. Once you qualify to be in the "Merit Aid deserving list" the ones at the top will be offered more more and the ones at the bottom will be offered less, sort of like the prize money at a golf tournament. It's a shame because I think every student accepted at UChicago has outstanding merit.</p>
<p>The $1000/year has been the same for several years, so I kinda doubt it changed in the last three weeks. I can't imagine they'd reduce it, since it's a rather small amount of money in the first place.</p>
<p>The $1,000/year for NMF was in effect from 2003-2007. If there has been a change to the policy, it's recent. HOWEVER, if you receive the $1,000 NMF award, you need to file certain forms with the University financial aid office each year to keep the award. Don't ignore them as we initially did since our S was not receiving any financial aid, as we understood it.</p>
<p>Thanks, runnersmom. </p>
<p>J'adoube, none of the real National Merit scholarships are very big. More in the category of "nice to be recognized, but we all know that it was one test on one day." And yes, Chicago does have other merit money. But no, although every accepted student has outstanding merit, there are never enough to get merit dollars to back it up.</p>
<p>Every $1K DS can scrape together is that much less he and we have to come up with...so while it's only 2% of the bill, it still matters at our house -- especially when weighing other offers with merit money attached.</p>
<p>I asked the financial aid office and they said that if my NMF son got the $2,500 scholarship from the National Merit Corp, U of C would give him a one time credit to his loans and/or work study. If he did not get that, then U of C would "give" him $2,000/year, but in his case it would just be subtracted from the grant money he would already get from the school, so the bottom line wouldn't change for him, or us, at all. Not very helpful financially in our situation. It would help kids who don't need financial aid though... go figure. The woman I spoke to was very knowledgeable and polite.</p>
<p>OK, so they don't convert that $2500 one-time and make it a $1,000/yr. times four? I know some schools (Carleton) will do that sort of thing, so I was wondering.</p>