Questions about Caltech's FinAid

<p>These are general questions I had about the scene of the financial aid (and a little bit more) at Caltech, and any answers would be much appreciated!</p>

<p>1) Does Caltech sponsor National Merit scholarships? (I think the answer is no, but I'm not sure). Similarly, is there any benefit to reporting Caltech as my first-choice school to NMSC?</p>

<p>2) How does the financial aid award change from year-to-year for an individul? Do they (on average) get more/less loans, more/less grants, etc?</p>

<p>3) How is the work-study program at Caltech? (relative to other similar institutions and also your opinion). I wish I could make this question more specific, but I don't know too much about these programs.</p>

<p>4) Do students frequently use money earned from doing SURF's to pay off their loans and help with other college expenses? Also, how common is it for people to do SURF's for 2, 3, or even 4 summers?</p>