UMN Twin Cities Early Action for Fall 2022 Admission

D22 (OOS) got the merit scholarship letter as well. Presidential and National scholarship.

1 Like

Not S22. Just staying patient. I have heard that awards really start to come out in March.

1 Like

Just curious if any kids in MN who are not first gen, athletes or URM have received significant merit scholarships to University of MN Twin Cities? Iā€™m hearing mostly about $10-15K offered to OOS kids (not residents of MN whose parents pay our high state income taxes here). Iā€™m not talking about financial aid or those of you who are guaranteed to go debt free because your parents make under $60k. Just plain old nonhooked merit scholarships for strong studentsā€“, have any Minnesota residents received over $5k for fall 2022?

1 Like

We are Wisconsin so I think considered in-state, my son is unhooked direct admit to Carlson (so I would think strong student? but not URM, parents both went to college, wonā€™t get financial aid), no merit scholarship notifications yet I am not sure when U of M would announce those or if we would have heard by now if he hadā€¦

1 Like

Hi, I think there is tuition reciprocity with Wisconsin. Not sure if you would be looked at the same way as MN kids for merit scholarships at U of M TC (or for that matter if it is mostly only need based there for MN kids now other than for athletes/URM/first gen). . They do seem to give merit scholarships to OOS students, I donā€™t know if that includes WI.

My daughter didnā€™t apply to University of WI in Madison because other than the tuition reciprocity agreement we read (and other parents have told us) U of WI gives WI resident kids merit scholarships, but are notorious for not giving merit scholarships to MN students.
I have no data to base that on, just many comments from parents and what I read in various online sources.

1 Like

DD was accepted back in October. OOS. Hasnā€™t received anything about merit awards yet so Iā€™m also unsure if that means she is out of luck. Sheā€™s received substantial awards elsewhere though so this would be a disappointing.

I found my oos D22ā€™s $15k merit in her Minnesota portal. No notification, nothingā€¦I just clicked around on different things and stumbled upon it. I havenā€™t seen anything else as far as financial aid, etc.

I donā€™t think that the Merit awards come out till March unless you are a National Merit Scholar. I have also heard that OOS students find out earlier. Time to be patient. I am hoping and expecting for S2 to get s significant merit award, as a friend of his who is a year ahead applied to the same faculty, with similar, if not lower scores, and got a very nice merit package.

Where in the portal did you see it ?

Couple of days ago S22 OOS received $10k/year national merit scholarship award. I am sure, it is better than nothing, but not sure, if it is on par or not.

OOS niece received 10K/yr merit also. I am not exactly sure what you meant by your post, but they certainly donā€™t hand those awards out to average OOS students.

Thanks for clarifying. My question related to the $10k/yr is that usually students gets 10k/yr or it is more than 10k?

In 2020-2021, at U of MN Twin Cities, only 19% of undergrads got merit aid (i.e. aid that was not need-based.) The average merit award was $5,090, but they did not break that down in-state or out-of-state. I have heard that U of MN, like many other schools, is moving away from merit aid, and using that $ for need-based instead. As an example, National Merit Finalists used to get ~full tuition ($12,000 at the time.) Then tuition increased, but NMFs still only got $12,000. Now this year, most NMFs getting much less than $12,000. (My kid, in state, was just offered $7,500 as a NMF.)
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5d1ad956be52e800010a2502/t/610d8fc3df469359d2716599/1628278745199/Domestic+Financial+Aid+2021.pdf

1 Like

Thank you so much. Very insightful. Now i have a clear picture.

1 Like

Does anyone know when financial aid packages come out? My daughter was accepted in November and admitted to the honors program but still nothing on financial aid. All the other schools sheā€™s been accepted to sent financial aid within 2 weeks. I think she is just going to cross Minnesota off the list of schools sheā€™s considering because she doesnā€™t want to wait anymore.

My daughter (in state) did receive a small merit award recently We donā€™t know if that is it, or if she would be considered for more such as departmental scholarship. . I donā€™t think she has a financial aid package yet, but we know that will be zero for need-based aid. As of today, after merit scholarships she has been notified of, the U of M was the second most expensive after merit of the all schools she applied to. That includes several OOS flagships and privates in and out of the state. U of M at this point seems mostly to be closing some of the OOS tuition gap for some top OOS applicants (with $10k to $12K merit scholarships) and will be providing free tuition portion for instate if parents make under $50k. They donā€™t seem to be really interested in attracting in-state high academic students unless they are URM, first gen, qualify for need-based aid, or are full pay or close to full pay. That is not scientifically based just ā€œword of mouth.ā€ The highest merit aid she has heard of in state so far for fall 22 is a friend who got $7k merit however he is first gen.
Some have said on here they expect more instate merit awards to come out in March, we really have no idea.

2 Likes

In state NMF 12k plus honors plus deans research scholarship, ~2k

S2 (instate)just received his merit award, and we are disappointed, frankly, as the award was significantly smaller than an OOS family member(10K), and his friend from last year (same HS)(10K), even though his stats were slightly higher.

His stats- 1510 SAT, 3.97 UW, 11 APā€™s (Calc BC. Chem, Physics, Stats, APUSH, World Lit, Cs, ECon all with 4 's and 5ā€™s). Average ECā€™s. Athletic. 4K x 4 years. Applied for ENG/CS.

Cousinā€™s stats(OOS)- 1450 SAT. 3.97 GPA UW. ( 8 APā€™s). Average ECā€™s. Female. Applied for ENG/CS. 10K x 4.

Friendā€™s stats(in state, same HS)- 1470 SAT. 3.95 GPA. (approx 10 APā€™s, including Physics and Calc BC)ENG. 10K x 4. Male.

Both of the other applicants make considerably more than we do as a family.

Does anyone have any advice on how to appeal this? S2 has worked his butt off at school, and it bothers us that we seem to be getting the short end of the stick here.

My impression is that U of MN offers higher merit aid amounts to OOS students to offset their higher out-of-state tuition. Total cost of attendance will still be lower for in-state students, however. I have heard that merit aid really has decreased a lot at the U of MN in the last couple of years. For high stats MN students, U of MN is not the bargain it used to be. I wonder in MN is going to see more high stats students lost to other schools? The situation is changing in many states, however, so maybe not.

1 Like

Yet just last year a classmate with slightly lesser stats (detailed above)got 10K x 4yr. The State has a record budget surplus this past year, so itā€™s not as if they can cry poor.
Itā€™s annoying that an Illinois student with lesser stats(2nd case above) gets over twice the merit award- 40 v 16K. I can assure you that the reverse would not be true at UIUC(their State flagship).

1 Like