<p>Add ^American U (“up to full tuition” competitive) under private HM.</p>
<p>The general rule of thumb: if the wording doesn’t imply that every NMF who applies will receive X scholarship, the award is competitive.</p>
<p>Is the + “guaranteed” amount one time award, one guarantee amount per semester or per year?</p>
<p>All amounts are guaranteed per year, renewable, unless otherwise noted. I didn’t double-check the USC +2k personally, though.</p>
<p>ETA: Checked briefly for USC and couldn’t find where +2k was stated, so I’m changing it back to half tuition guaranteed until a specific link is provided.</p>
<p>[Office</a> of Undergraduate Education - The University of Texas at Dallas](<a href=“http://www.utdallas.edu/dept/ugraddean/aesprogram.html]Office”>Office of Undergraduate Education | UT Dallas)
</code></pre>
<p>UT-Dallas should be guaranteed, not competitive.</p>
<p>What about SUNY schools in NY?</p>
<p>^^^</p>
<p>If you know of any SUNY’s that guarantee big NM money to all finalists, then please post their links. :)</p>
<p>If you’re wondering, then go to their websites, and look at their scholarship pages. If they list a significant NM scholarship, then post the link here.</p>
<p>Thank you Keilexandra! This should be helpful:)</p>
<p>Oh, and also do you of any schools that give merit scholarships, but do not advertise them? My friend received a few substantial offers from Ivy Leagues that say they only do need-based… and he had absolutely no financial need…</p>
<p>^^^</p>
<p>What schools did he get them from and what did the scholarships say? Were they some kind of alumni award or something?</p>
<p>o Full ride is defined as minimum tuition/room/board.
o Must guarantee at least 5k or full tuition competitive to be eligible for Honorable Mention.
o U=University, C=College
o *=annual class <1k students
o ^=schools I personally find notable</p>
<p>NMF FULL TUITION+</p>
<h2>Publics</h2>
<p>U of Alabama (NMF full ride & NMSF full tuition with 3.5 GPA guaranteed)
U of Alabama-Huntsville (NMF full ride & NMSF full tuition guaranteed)
Alabama State U (full ride guaranteed)
Auburn U <a href=“full%20tuition+%20guaranteed”>AL</a>
U of North Alabama (NMF full ride & NMSF full tuition+ guaranteed)
Troy U <a href=“full%20ride%20competitive”>AL</a>
U of Arizona (full tuition[+?] guaranteed?)
Southern Arkansas U (in-state full ride/OOS full tuition+ [full ride - 2.5k] rolling)
U of Central Florida (NMF full tuition+ guaranteed / full ride competitive & NMSF 9k guaranteed)
Florida A&M U (NMF in-state full ride & OOS full tuition guaranteed - other qualifications, see [University</a> Scholarships - Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University 2010](<a href=“Page Not Found”>Page Not Found))
U of South Florida (NMF full ride competitive - <a href=“http://usfweb2.usf.edu/Admissions/pdf/freshman-Non-florida.pdf[/url]”>http://usfweb2.usf.edu/Admissions/pdf/freshman-Non-florida.pdf</a> | <a href=“http://usfweb2.usf.edu/Admissions/pdf/freshman-florida.pdf[/url]”>http://usfweb2.usf.edu/Admissions/pdf/freshman-florida.pdf</a>)
U of Idaho (NMF full ride competitive [25])
Ball State U <a href=“NMF%20full%20ride%20guaranteed”>IN</a>
Eastern Kentucky U (in-state full ride & OOS full tuition- guaranteed)
U of Kentucky (full ride 1st year & full tuition+ remaining 3 years guaranteed)
Louisiana State U (full tuition competitive)
U of Maine (tuition- competitive)
Wayne State U <a href=“full%20ride%20competitive”>MI</a>
^*U of Minnesota-Morris (full tuition guaranteed)
^Truman State U <a href=“full%20tuition%20competitive”>MO</a>
Mississippi State U (NMF full tuition+ & NMSF full tuition- guaranteed)
U of Southern Mississippi (NMF/SF full ride competitive)
Southeast Missouri State U (NMF full ride guaranteed, NMSF full tuition- guaranteed)
U of Nebraska-Lincoln (full tuition+ competitive)
New Jersey Institute of Technology (full ride guaranteed)
New Mexico State U (NMF full ride & NMSF full tuition+ guaranteed)
Cleveland State U <a href=“full%20tuition%20guaranteed”>OH</a>
Youngstown State U <a href=“full%20ride%20with%2030%20ACT/1300%20SAT%20competitive%20%5B40%5D”>OH</a>
Ohio State U (full tuition competitive)
U of Oklahoma (full tuition+ guaranteed)
Oklahoma State U (full tuition+ guaranteed)
U of Memphis <a href=“NMF%20%5B9k%20+%20OOS%20waiver%5D%20&%20NMSF%20%5B7.5k%20+%20OOS%20waiver%5D%20full%20tuition+%20guaranteed”>TN</a>
U of Houston <a href=“full%20ride%20guaranteed”>TX</a>
U of North Texas (full ride competitive)
Texas A&M U (full tuition+ competitive)
U of Texas-Dallas (full tuition+ guaranteed)
Texas Tech U (IS full ride & OOS full tuition+ [19.8k] guaranteed)
U of Texas-Tyler (NMF full ride & NMSF full tuition+ guaranteed)
Washington State U (NMSF full tuition guaranteed)
West Virginia U (full tuition- guaranteed)
U of Wisconsin-Oshkosh (in-state full ride guaranteed [~4k OOS tuition difference])</p>
<h2>Privates</h2>
<p><em>Abilene Christian U (full tuition guaranteed)
Alfred U (full ride guaranteed with top 5% rank, otherwise full tuition/ride competitive)
*Alma C (full tuition guaranteed, full ride competitive [first 15 to commit])
*Andrews U (full tuition guaranteed)
Baylor U (full tuition guaranteed)
*Birmingham-Southern C (full tuition competitive)
Bradley U (full tuition guaranteed [not advertised, see <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/1061891866-post29.html][/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/1061891866-post29.html]</a>)
U of Dallas (NMF full tuition, NMSF 12k guaranteed)
^</em>Denison U (full tuition competitive)
<em>U of Evansville (NMF full tuition & NMSF 75% tuition guaranteed)
*Faulkner U (NMF/SF full tuition guaranteed)
^Fordham U (full tuition+ competitive)
*Harding U (full tuition guaranteed)
*Geneva C (NMF full tuition & NMSF 3/4 tuition guaranteed)
Liberty U (NMF full ride & NMSF full tuition guaranteed)
*Lipscomb U (full tuition+ guaranteed)
Long Island U-C.W. Post (full tuition competitive)
^Northeastern U (full tuition competitive)
*Nyack C (full tuition guaranteed)
*Oakwood U (NMF full tuition+, NMSF full tuition, & NMCommended 80% tuition guaranteed)
*Oklahoma Christian U (full ride guaranteed)
*Pacific Union C (full tuition guaranteed)
*Roberts Wesleyan C (NMF full tuition & NMSF half tuition guaranteed)
*Spring Arbor U (NMF full tuition & NMSF half tuition + one-time 5k guaranteed)
*Sterling C (full tuition guaranteed)
^</em>U of Tulsa (full ride competitive [70-80])
^*Wesleyan C <a href=“full%20tuition%20competitive”>women only</a>
*Westminster C <a href=“NMF%20full%20tuition%20&%20NMSF%20half%20tuition%20guaranteed”>UT</a></p>
<p>NMF HONORABLE MENTIONS</p>
<h2>Publics</h2>
<p>Arizona State University (11k in-state, 17k OOS guaranteed)
U of Central Arkansas (12k guaranteed with 3.25 GPA)
California State U-Fullerton (in-state only: full tuition+ guaranteed)
California State U-Long Beach (in-state only: full ride competitive)
U of Florida (OOS tuition waiver + 4k guaranteed)
^*New C of Florida (17.5k guaranteed)
Iowa State U (in-state full ride competitive)
U of Kansas (in-state only: 10k guaranteed)
U of Louisiana-Lafayette (unclear - [UL</a> Lafayette: Academic Scholarships: High School Seniors](<a href=“Admissions & Financial Aid | UL Lafayette”>Admissions & Financial Aid | UL Lafayette))
U of Massachusetts-Amherst (in-state full ride competitive)
Michigan State U (750-2k + in-state 2k & OOS 4k and room/board competitive)
U of New Mexico (~13k [in-state full tuition] competitive)
U of Akron <a href=“6k%20guaranteed%20+%20Honors%20College%203k”>OH</a>
U of Cincinnati <a href=“in-state%20full%20tuition+%20%5BOOS%2014k%20difference%5D”>OH</a>
Wright State U <a href=“in-state%20only:%20NMF%20full%20ride%20guaranteed,%20NMSF/Commended%20full%20tuition%20guaranteed”>OH</a>
U of South Carolina (in-state up to 10k, OOS up to 6k + OOS tuition waiver)
U of Vermont (in-state NMF full tuition, OOS “up to 10k” competitive)
U of Wisconsin-Eau Claire (full in-state tuition guaranteed)</p>
<h2>Privates</h2>
<p>^American U (“up to full tuition” competitive)
^Boston U (half tuition competitive)
<em>Calvin C (10k guaranteed)
*Concordia C (14k guaranteed)
^George Washington U (15k guaranteed)
*Gordon C (75% tuition guaranteed w/ 3.5 GPA)
*Hope C (17k guaranteed)
^</em>Macalester C (5k guaranteed)
<em>Morningside C (“tuition scholarship” guaranteed - [Morningside</a> College Admissions: First-year Students Scholarships](<a href=“http://www.morningside.edu/admissions/pages/fr_scholarships.htm]Morningside”>http://www.morningside.edu/admissions/pages/fr_scholarships.htm))
*North Central C (3/4 tuition guaranteed)
^U of Rochester (22k guaranteed)
^Rochester Institute of Technology (15k guaranteed)
*U of Sioux Falls (full ride competitive [1])
^U of Southern California (half tuition guaranteed)
Southern Methodist U (half tuition + 2k guaranteed)
^</em>St. Olaf C (7.5k guaranteed)
^Vanderbilt U (5k guaranteed + 2k if awarded competitive merit)</p>
<p>My oldest daughter, now a sophomore in college, was offered $24,000 from Tulane and $16,00 from College of Charleston simply on application stats. She was not in the National Merit group. University of Richmond also offers generous merit aid.</p>
<p>^Congrats to your D. Lots of colleges do offer excellent scholarships outside of National Merit, but for the sake of sanity, this thread focuses on only one specific subset of merit aid.</p>
<p>From all those colleges which ones are the best? Top, top…best rankings?</p>
<p>^
</p>
<p>But I will never “rank” this compilation. Fit > prestige.</p>
<p>Anyone ranking prestige, please</p>
<p>Prestige ranking:</p>
<ol>
<li> Ball State University (Muncie, Indiana)</li>
<li> (tie) all others except #3</li>
<li> Vanderbilt (Who on Earth would want to go there?)</li>
</ol>
<p>But seriously, if you want an opinion about the best National Merit scholarship available, I (and I am only one person!!!) believe that it’s Alfred University. It is a small, isolated college with a really good engineering program. This is so rare.</p>
<p>But Keilexandra is right: It is impossible to rank these schools. The student must do some research and visit and decide which is the best fit. There is no good way to rank them.</p>
<p>Ball State #1? To each his own! :)</p>
<p>But, seriously, Mantori and Keil are right…each person has to decide fit and such.</p>
<p>^I think mantori was being sarcastic. :)</p>
<p>Ahhh…I’m slow tonight. LOL</p>
<p>I went to a Mid-American Conference school myself, so I have a soft spot for Ball State. Plus David Letterman went there, and you can’t get much more prestigious than that! But when it comes right down to it…yeah, I was being sarcastic. :)</p>
<p>I was serious about Alfred, though. I wish I could have gone there; it sounds really cool.</p>