<p>I'm waiting for a decision from Colorado College but i was wondering if anyone had information on criteria for merit scholarships and common amounts of scholarships awarded.</p>
<p>From the Colorado College website:</p>
<p>
[quote]
First-Year Financial Aid Statistics</p>
<p>85 percent of total CC dollars based on need</p>
<p>15 percent of total CC dollars based on merit</p>
<p>45 percent of first-year students received need-based aid</p>
<p>57 percent of first-year students received some type of aid</p>
<p>First-year aid packages ranged from $1,000 to $40,000*</p>
<p>Average need-based package was approximately $27,300*</p>
<p>Average need-based scholarships and grants were approximately $23,900*</p>
<p>*Family income and assets, family size, number in college, and other considerations affect aid awards significantly. For a general estimate of expected family contribution please visit the websites at College Board or Fin Aid.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I think it is significant that 15% of the total CC dollars go to MERIT. Also note that approx. 12% of 1st year students receive "some type of aid" that is NOT need-based.</p>
<p>And, there are a few merit scholarships at CC that are independent sourses of money so they are IN ADDITION to what CC itself provides.</p>
<p>I wish I could help you more, but getting a clear picture of "the average merit aid" is made difficult because CC seems to provide an average of nearly $24,000 in scholarships and grants to approximately 12% of the students.</p>
<p>My kid was offered a merit scholarship of $5000/year with his EA decision in December.
I believe some admitted students do get more, but I don't know how many do. </p>
<p>We are still waiting for the total financial aid offer.
I would assume that the merit scholarship is "stacked" onto any need-based aid. In other words, that it does not reduce the amount of need-based financial aid. Otherwise, it may be an honor to get it, but it has little practical incentive value. </p>
<p>My understanding is that the very most selective LACs (Amherst, Williams, Swarthmore; Haverford, Bowdoin, Middlebury; etc.) do not offer merit scholarships. CC is a notch below these schools in selectivity, and its location probably is not in its favor if you don't ski. So, it does use merit aid to try to entice admitted applicants who otherwise might lean toward a competing school. This is a good reason to consider a couple of selective, high quality LACs in the midwest. Grinnell is another one that comes to mind.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I would assume that the merit scholarship is "stacked" onto any need-based aid. In other words, that it does not reduce the amount of need-based financial aid. Otherwise, it may be an honor to get it, but it has little practical incentive value.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>That is how I understand the aid figures reach the $20,000+</p>
<p>CC's financial aid award offer arrived in the mail today.
I know we should be grateful for any offer, but unfortunately, it only covers about a third of the difference between the total cost and the "expected family contribution" (EFC) calculated by FAFSA.</p>
<p>According to CC's Common Data Set figures, their average aid package meets 94.9% of need. I don't know why they met so much less of ours. Maybe they use their own methods to calculate the EFC, and come up with a different figure from FAFSA's. </p>
<p>This is going to be tough.</p>
<p>Whoops, now I get it ...
that "EFC" figure is not for all four years, it's for ONE year (gulp). And CC did in fact meet our FAFSA-computed need. Gulp again.</p>
<p>From my experience Colorado College seems to have great merit-based financial aid. I was offered $20,000 a year by CC, and I was offered $0 by Bucknell University in Pennsylvania (which has an acceptance rate a percentage or two higher than CC).</p>
<p>GO TIGERS!!!</p>
<p>This is a little off-base, but I think relevant to COA. As a parent of a present CC student, I have received 2 emails from CC in the last week. </p>
<p>One informed that the increase in COA for 2009-10 was going to be modest (one statement said the increase in the cost of tuition was the smallest percentage increase in like 20 years). That was the "sorta" good news. The email did say that they were looking at many ways to tighten the belt, but that the academics wouldn't suffer.</p>
<p>The second email announced that three varsity sports would be cut due to economic considerations. I think they were football, water polo and I forget the third. According to the email it effected less than 100 students, I think 22 women and 40+ men.</p>
<p>himmm, that's interesting that the financial situation is causing sports to be cut....they better not cut hockey!</p>
<p>07dad, I just got off the phone w/D whose school is scheduled to play CC at CC this weekend. The third sport is softball. I feel for all the athletes who will no longer get to compete because they love their sport. CC only joined our conference last season, Our girls will play with heavy hearts this weekend.</p>
<p>I know it wasn't hockey. That is the main male sport that competes at the highest level.</p>
<p>I too think it is sad for the effected students. I am glad that CC is trying to keep the COA in line and imagine that CC made the cut decisions with a heavy heart.</p>
<p>For further discussion of some of these issues, see:</p>
<p>My S is a freshman and varisty athlete (his sport was not cut), but his roommate is a football player. Like most student athletes who play at the D3 level, his roommate plays for the love of the game and is devastated. I have heard that several football players are talking about transferring so they can continue to play the game they love. My S and roommate are good friends and talked about rooming together again next year. In this economy hard choices have to be made, but it is a sad time on the Colorado College campus for those who can no longer play the sport they love, as well as for their friends and the entire CC community.</p>
<p>Does any one know when we will receive the final financial aid awards?</p>
<p>D got hers this week. It was about the same as her estimated package.</p>