Still No Merit Award

<p>I still haven't received my merit aid award in the mail. They said two to three weeks (and many people received their packet within one week) yet it's been four. Should I be worried yet? If so, what should I do? I don't want to annoy them but I'm getting nervous.</p>

<p>My son received his scholarship letter shortly after the admission letter. It was also posted on the WPI status portal (hopefully I am not getting the colleges mixed up.) </p>

<p>On the financial aid letter I called their office on Friday and they said they only sent out 100 of those letters so far and are back logged due to the large amount of invitations to admit and that they lost a few days due to weather. They said to expect it within the next two weeks.</p>

<p>OP, is there anything posted on your portal yet? If not, your best bet is to either call or e-mail your admissions counselor and ask about it. Since the 2 to 3 week time frame has passed, a polite inquiry is not annoying :)</p>

<p>The only thing on my portal is the decision letter.</p>

<p>According to the WPI profile only about 25% get merit aid. Although we are grateful for the $10k University scholarship it is skimpy versus merit awards from other colleges we have received so far.</p>

<p>Ouch, I hadn’t realized. I thought it was one of those universities were everyone gets at least a few thousand. I’m NMSF so hopefully I’ll get the 20k NMF scholarship.</p>

<p>When discussing awards, are the values discussed the yearly amounts or the total for the 4 years?</p>

<p>HPuck35 - NMFs are guaranteed at least 20k per year.</p>

<p>If you are NMF and you did not receive a merit letter them that is very odd. Certainly requires a call.</p>

<p>The $10k my son was offered is an annual award. I am very confused by their need based aid as their NPC says my son would only be eligible for loans. I know they requested the CSS for early action but isn’t the final award based solely on FAFSA? The FAFSA gives us a $8k EFC. I know they don’t fulfill 100% need but just loans seems really skimpy.</p>

<p>Datherine: Did you name WPI as your first choice college? That is needed to get the $20k.</p>

<p>My son received a merit award of $20k and he is NMSF. No one has been named NMF yet. I believe the finalists are named in February.</p>

<p>No, I thought that came after the NMF decision is announced. How do I do that?</p>

<p>My daughter was a NMF two years ago. I thought she declared her first choice during the app process but my memory isn’t very good on this. Call National Merit at 847-866-5100 and ask.</p>

<p>GamerGal and datherine - there is a lot of information about NMFs naming their first choice on the National Merit scholarship sub-forum of the Financial Aid Forum. My S is also a NMSF / NMF hopeful. He has not yet named a first choice school but still received a merit scholarship from WPI. Since NMFs have not yet been notified of their status, it doesn’t make sense to have to do this now.</p>

<p>I wonder if your sons scholarship was not the NMF award then since he had not declared it as his first choice.</p>

<p>Just an update, I got my merit aid letter today. I guess they were just late getting some of them out. I’m NMSF but I got the 20,000 presidential scholarship (I haven’t declared a first choice and I think I sent my app in before I knew about NMSF). Since my merit award is already $20,000/year, becoming NMF won’t increase it anyway, right?</p>