<p>I understand that Penn State financial aid is a piece of crap but what about Merit aid?</p>
<p>I'm a California student who is considering applying to Penn State as a safety school.</p>
<p>I have 34 ACT, top 5% class rank. Do i have any chance at significant merit aid?</p>
<p>Penn State is not known for generous merit aid. If you’re a tippy-top student and can get admitted to Schreyer (the honors college), you’re more likely to get serious merit money. There is this mysterious thing called the Provost Scholarship that is used to lure students, including OOS ones, with $4,000-$6,000 a year in “merit” money, but since no one on the outside can figure out the selection criteria, it’s a safe bet for no one. </p>
<p>If you’re looking for assured merit dollars, based solely on stats, check out Bama, and some of the other southern schools that use big-time merit dollars to entice top students.</p>
<p>Merit aid is the same as financial aid.</p>
<p>But if you’re counting on a lot of free money to be able to go to PSU start looking elsewhere.</p>
<p>Merit money is NOT the same as financial aid. I know a kid whose parents have a seven-figure net worth (we’re talking two homes worth a couple of million dollars and a business worth another million or two) who received the Provost Scholarship.</p>
<p>So is the Provost Scholarship fake, or what? Because I got it in the mail and I’m OOS. It’s only 16,000 total, so it hardly makes a dent.</p>
<p>I don’t know what you mean by “fake.” It’s REAL money that a lot of students would be happy to receive. They clearly are trying to make it more affordable for you than full pay would be. But, no, it doesn’t generally make much of a “dent.” Were you expecting a big merit scholarship? Because Penn State is not known for them</p>
<p>All merit based aid is financial aid but not all financial aid is merit money. What you are mistakenly referring to as financial aid is called need based aid.</p>
<p>I am a California student who just received the Paterno Fellows Program & Scholarship in my mail today. Like you, I applied to Penn State as a safety school. Prior to this scholarship, I had ruled out Penn State nearly completely (after acceptance to UC Irvine’s Honors program).</p>
<p>Penn State offered me $4,000 per year, up to $16,000 in four years.
My stats aren’t as impressive as yours; 4.1 GPA, 30 ACT (33 superscore), top 20% from a competitive high school.
I think this scholarship was offered to me due to my extra-curriculars & essay. </p>
<p>I hope you apply–even to the Honor’s school. Good luck. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. :)</p>