Logically, I knew they were planning these merit reductions, so I was prepared for the possibility. And I know that they can’t just tap into a budget surplus just because there is one (government doesn’t move that fast.) And I really do support the idea of increasing need-based aid. But it still feels a little weird to know that places like Alabama roll out the red carpet for high achieving students…but not my kid’s own state. So, yeah it feels a little weird.
Alabama isn’t a member of Association of American Universities. I’ll ask this question… do you know anyone who has graduated from Alabama? I don’t, but I know about 100 people with an Alabama sticker. They have to pay high stats to go there. It isn’t competitive.
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It annoys me that my kid will not get a dime from UIUC(or Purdue, or WI), yet someone with lesser stats from ILL gets 2 1/2 times the merit(not need- these people make significantly more as a household than we do) at UMN.
This is not about “need”.
How do we find out about merit aid? Do we get an email ? I could not find how to check on the portal
DS22 OOS didn’t receive any email. He received merit award in the regular mail.
When did your son receive the merit letter?
Couple of weeks ago.
Anyone get a financial aid/merit package yet?? Anyone know when they are coming? Email? Snail mail?
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Nope. It’s our first choice university, so we are on the edges of our seats. I hope everyone else out there is doing ok and hanging in 
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We are still waiting on merit notification. My son is an OOS with a 4.0 weighted GPA, 32 ACT and no merit award yet. Applied to Biology and was accepted.
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Financial aid packages for everybody, including current students, aren’t released until early April, I think, could be late March. Merit aid is released continuously until Mar 15ish.
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My OOS daughter is a current freshman in the honors program. She received $15k National Scholarship. That was the highest amount in previous years. They might have reduced the max to $10k this year, which would be a shame.
BTW, she loves the school, the environment, the city, her classes, and especially her honors seminars.
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Thank you!
Disappointed that the Gophers admitted student days(in person) are all filled up for both March and April, after being closed due to pandemic regs up till recently. Why don’t they just hold more events? As is, they appear to be doing just the minimum to keep students. Smaller awards to high stats students, especially in state ones, little effort to introduce the school to others besides the endless on line fare. We just went to a great Purdue admitted student event that was extremely well run… Minnesota needs to step up it’s game.
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Are people hearing anything from Minnesota? it’s been crickets from them for a couple months.
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Yes, they don’t seem to be doing much to keep kids in state.
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My daughter’s an OOS admitted student (from Indiana). She has been receiving a lot of mails including a reception at a local hotel for networking and a scholarship notification which arrived today…
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My son is OOS too. Got deferred to school of engineering. That notice was the only communication he has received since he applied back in October.
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Who has gone on an Admitted Students Day? Would be interested in your impressions. S2 has toured the campus, but only in a specific way during Covid, and wants a faculty specific(CompE, in his case)tour of the facilities before he commits. All of the spots have been filled up for quite a while now, and so far, they don’t seem to be opening up new touring possibilities.
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Not us! Wish we could! There was a virtual event available for the School of Design, but was not specific for his major. It seemed low yield, so he wasn’t about to skip a performance in his EC in order to attend. He has a lot of specific questions that are not going to be of interest to the average applicant, so really needs to talk to students and faculty in person, but that opportunity has not been available. I have thought about stepping in and trying to set up something private, but don’t want to be “that parent.” All in all they have not made a good impression. Very different from his OOS options.
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