Can anybody clarify how the scholarships given by Universities to NMF work? For example colleges require you to put them as a first choice in NMF application, but their merit aid is not clearly defined. For example college promises “up to half tuition scholarship”. But the timelines for information about NMS should be released in May (after you commit to college). So if my daughter choose this college a s the first choice, got accepted, decided to go there, but in May college gives her 5K instead of half tuition. I think I misunderstood something. Please help.
You should know the merit and aid package of a school well ahead of the May decision deadline.
As far as the designation of first choice school, I will let someone else answer that.
You can change your designation right up until May. You get your FA offers in March, select a school in April and designate your choice. It really doesn’t matter/help if you designate in advance.
Thank you for responses. If I have financial help decision in March, what scholarships are released in May?
Most schools release merit information shortly after acceptance. Financial aid forms are also available earlier this year, in October (using 2015 tax information), so financial aid information should also be available earlier.
What schools were you interested in applying to? Maybe some posters can share their experience.
@Nata11 There are smaller scholarships that come through NMSC (funded by sponsors or NMSC or colleges). Those are the one that are awarded after the May deadline. The dollar amounts involved there shouldnt be influencing your college choice, and you should have chosen by then anyway!
The larger scholarships come directly from the schools themselves, and those should be made clear to you in an offer well before the May deadline.
Thank you