Questions on Natl Merit Finalist "top choice college" pick

Paying for College
1

<p>My ds is a Natl Merit Finalist. He put one school as his first choice because it offers the most $$$ to finalists, but he is really undecided. Where he goes depends a LOT on merit aid -- he is in to his REAL first choice school but we canNOT afford it unless he gets merit aid. He has two scholarship interviews at other schools.</p>

<p>So when does he need to submit the "change my top choice school" card by? </p>

<p>Do all his schools find out that he is a finalist or only his top choice?</p>

<p>Do schools that he didn't list as "top choice" find out that they are not his top choice?</p>

<p>When is the college's NMF money allocated?</p>

<p>Dd won a Natl Merit Scholarship last year, and was given another opportunity to change her top school in late April -- but is that a special opportunity given just to Merit Scholars?</p>

2

<p>I would go ahead and fax that your ds is undecided, because if in the meantime he gets an offer from his current top choice school, then no one else can offer him nmf money. He doesn't have to decide for sure usually until the end of April, check individual universities to see if they want it sooner.</p>

3

<p>My understanding is that everyone get till April 30th to make the decision. I would like to know this for sure too.</p>

4

<p>You can change your college choice at any time. However, once you are offered a college-sponsored award, that is the only national merit scholarship you will be offered. Once a scholarship is offered, if you change schools you will be unable to receive the new school's national merit scholarship.</p>