<p>Not sure why folks promote the NM scholarship at USC.
Estimated costs there are still around 36K/yr AFTER the 1/2 tuition scholarship. That is more than most schools cost without a scholarship. Just doesn’t sound like such a good deal for someone who says they can’t afford much and are looking for merit aid.</p>
<p>The USC deal is really only a good deal for those who have little to no need and are just looking for a discount. Those who have a lot of need, don’t need the scholarship because the school meets need. </p>
<p>However, for someone who has no need, and can’t pay $55k, getting $20k off per year can make the difference. With a student loan on top of that, the cost is about $30k…about the same as a UC.</p>
<p>Could someone answer a question I have? I will most likely be named a National Merit Finalist on Tuesday(have not received a rejection letter). The way I understand it is that I will not receive any NMS $$ because I will be attending Notre Dame(accepted EA) or HPD(waiting…) and ND and the Ivies do not participate. Is that correct?</p>
<p>You could still qualify for one of the one-time $2500 dollar scholarships awarded by the National Merit Foundation itself.</p>
<p>The only thing you might get is a one time $2500 award from NMCorp…but they only award a couple thousand of those…out of 15,000 NMFs.</p>
<p>How do they decide who will get these $2500 scholarships?</p>
<p>Since a lot of schools don’t notify about acceptance until 4/1, can student wait til then to choose 1st choice school? So far put down UNDECIDED.</p>
<p>^^^</p>
<p>I’m not exactly sure how they decide who gets the $2500.</p>
<p>Supposedly, it’s some kids from each state that had very high SAT scores and other stats, but who didn’t get a corporate or other merit scholarship. </p>
<p>I know that my nephew got one a few years ago. He had a perfect SAT, Val of his class, and he was going to Columbia - so no other merit scholarship.</p>
<p>I found the FAFSA EFC reasonable. Then I found out about expectations at my daughter’s university. The private schools also want a “CSS Profile.” </p>
<p>We live in San Francisco, so my modest 2 bedroom, 1 bath row house in a modest neighborhood is now worth almost a half-million. Because this is San Francisco I can get almost $50 thousand a year in a modest job, with a high school diploma and office work experience. My ex- was a deadbeat dad, is now actually dead.</p>
<p>Fifteen years in my civil service job would get me 50 x .02 x 15 of my salary in pension at the age of 67. That’s $15,00. On the CSS, they only ask IF you have a civil service pension.</p>
<p>According to the university, the equity in my home should be the key to financing the tuition. There is equity. I could borrow against it. Paying it back would be another matter. I am 63 now. Retirement is not an option. All the decisions we made in 2008 - my daughter’s summer jobs, my moonlighting - went away with the recession.</p>
<p>The reason for the CSS Profile is that the FAFSA is open to abuse. It frosted me to hear from an acquaintance how the barely employed divorced mom had full custody so the wealthy dad’s income would not be counted. So, yes, assets should be counted, income of a non-custodial parent should be counted, but it can lead to strange conclusions.</p>
<p>Anybody know how they decide which finalists actually become scholars? I mean get the NMS money, not corporate/school awards (I know I don’t qualify for any of those). All the criteria the website says is considered is what I thought they considered to move on from semifinalist to finalist…</p>
<p>Shore: from what I’ve seen, those selected by the NM Corporation tend to be those with the highest PSAT/SAT scores, highest GPA’s and best recommendations (strong/significant EC’s, awards, etc.)</p>