<p>Are the University Scholarships need-based? I got into SMED, but I only received Dean’s Scholarship ($10,000/year). When reading profiles of average recipients, I fit right in or exceeded the criteria for University Scholarship, but the description of Dean’s explicitly stated it was for students with little to no financial need. Not that I’m not happy with the SMED and 10 grand a year, just I’m wondering why I wasn’t given more money when my academic credentials seem to warrant a greater amount.</p>
<p>The University Scholarships are merit based.</p>
<p>Same thing happened with me, buddy. Some kids in my school with need but lower stats got the University also. I only got Dean's.</p>
<p>I got the university scholarship but don't qualify for any need based aid at all. It's just merit oriented.</p>
<p>how do you find out you got a scholarship?</p>
<p>There is a link for some apparently that says "Merit Scholarship". If you don't have one of those links, not sure what it means. There is also the link that says "Financial Aid Decision". That includes both the merit money and the need based money.</p>
<p>did you need to have applied for financial aid in order to get merit-based scholarship?</p>
<p>BU requires you to file the Profile and FAFSA to be considered for merit aid.</p>
<p>Not sure about that Kinshasa. Read from the BU web site:</p>
<p>"Most merit-based awards do not require an application for financial aid."</p>
<p>If a family knows it makes too much to receive need based aid, not sure why there kid wouldn't be considered for merit scholarship.</p>
<p>Last year there was no specific application as in Trustee or MLK, but you did need to submit the Profile and FAFSA. I know this for certain because my S applied ED last year and we had to submit those forms so he could be considered for merit awards. There was no specific merit award application for the Dean's or University Scholarships. The policy may have changed. I called Financial Aid to see if we needed to resubmit Profile and FAFSA to keep his merit award, and they said no. I don't know if the policy changed, or as he already has the award, the only thing he needs to do is maintain his 3.2 GPA.</p>
<p>Does anyone know if there are ways to receive merit scholarships after your freshman year if you maintain an excellent gpa? I received a few grants, but i want to make sure there are ways to help my parents with the money situation down the road... thanks for the input</p>
<p>The Deans scholarship asks that you complete FAFSA or Profile but it was not needed for the University Scholarship. Both are merit based but the Deans' one takes need into account but since it seems to be for kids without demonstratad need I assume BU asks for the FAFSA so they can give it to kids with parents making too much for fiancial aid but maybe not millions. </p>
<p>I like to remind people of our s's experience. His admissions letter made no reference to a merit scholarship although his stats suggested he would get one. He got into a few more competetive schools so we wondered if the BU assumed it was not his top choice so we followed up and emailed the school and diplomaticaly asked if that meant he wasn't going to get merit aid or could some news be coming at a later date. Called the merit aid office a few days later and BU said we'd hear in two wks. Called about a week later because we were getting close to May 1 and had to revisit schools for accepted student days. I delicately mentioned his other acceptances and that the scholarship would really help tip the scales to BU. All true. Within a few days mail arrived that he had the University Scholarship. So if your stats suggest you should get merit aid don't be afraid to follow up and ask if such news may be coming later.</p>
<p>Since its half tuition it goes up each yr. along with the cost. If you have a bad semester, which can happen as you adjust to college life from HS or partied too much, and lose it for the next semester because you didn't keep a 3.2,(for the half tuition one) you can get it back as soon a you get a 3.2 again which is not the case at some schools where a bad semester can permanently take away merit aid.</p>
<p>hrmm, interesting strategy, dogs.</p>
<p>Not really a strategy. When we asked the guidance counselor if the scholarship info always came with the admissions letter he said he had no idea and was so busy that he suggested we find out the contact at BU and email him. So it was an honest question. Since another classmate with lower stats received a Dean's scholarship w/ his acceptance packet we were perplexed since our s's stats were above the average for the university scholarship. So the queston was simply whether the merit aid came with the acceptace, always, or could it come in a different form of communication at a later datesame as some need base aid. So it turned out that some kids got their merit aid info with their acceptance letter while with others it evidently can come later. As the weeks went on we had to know when to schedule vists at the 2-3 schools he was down to choosing. So the point is that if your stats suggest you should have merit aid and have not yet received it don't give up since apparently some students hear about it after a couple of weeks as was our case. BU is a huge school and very busy at his time so it must be a lot to juggle all the offers and rather than wait and see it can't hurt to just email that if your acceptance letter did not come with merit aide and your stats are such that you expected it, just ask for clarification if that means you aren't getting any or could that info be coming a later date.</p>
<p>It's just, my academic stats suggest that I should receive more scholarship than I received:</p>
<p>2250 SAT I (780 Math, 760 CR, 710 Writing)
Rank: 14/379</p>
<p>My friend whose SAT is 100 points lower, and whose rank is 10 spots lower, got the University Scholarship, while I only got Dean's. Of course, it may be because I got into the Accelerated Medical Program and he didn't. Any thoughts?</p>
<p>Financial need can have a fairly strong impact on whether or not you get a need based scholarship, as seen earlier in this thread. I think contacting them might be a good idea as dogs said.</p>
<p>DS will be a senior at BU. When he was a freshman, he had to complete the Profile and FAFSA to be considered for his music performance award. For renewal, he/we had to complete the FAFSA only and he had to maintain a 3.0 GPA. This year we submitted the Profile again as our financial situation has changed with a second child in college. If you are only renewing merit aid, you only have to file the FAFSA. It's all on their finaid website...and the deadline is approaching...</p>
<p>Thumper, when I called Financial Aid a few months ago, I was told I did not have to file any forms for S's merit scholarship to continue as long as he maintains the GPA minimum. I was surprised because we had to submit the forms last year. I might call tomorrow just to double check.</p>
<p>Kinshasa....yes, you are correct. I just looked and there is no form submittal for merit aid this year. Of course, this year we had to submit everything again because we will have two in college...of course we don't expect to GET any need based aid, but you never know. I'm glad they changed that policy. It didn't seem like a necessary task to fill out a FAFSA for a student who was getting merit aid only.</p>
<p>We did not have to fill out anything for renewal of the University Scholar merit scholarship. Its automatic if the GPA requirement is met. </p>
<p>For the student that got accepted into the acceleated Med program---that could be the reason since for that program your stats are probably not at such a high level. Congratulations. That is quite an acceptance.</p>