I agree with lkg4answers answer for the most part except my understanding is that if he doesn’t receive a corporate or NMSC scholarship he will receive the $4K from USC, which will be augmented with additional $$ direct from USC to add up to NM Presidential. So he would get a max benefit of NM Presidential, not the $4K on top of Presidential.
Oh interesting, ok. I’m sure he’s not getting a corporate scholarship. Have recipients of the other type-the MNSC scholarship already been notified? This is so confusing!!
It is on top of it. My student receives both the merit scholarship (Trustee/Presidential) plus an additional $500/semester for the NM scholarship.
OK, that is good to know! And we’ll see how helpful it is when USC decisions come out Friday. 
Here are dates for each of the scholarships for this spring per my NMSC convo. And if you have questions, just call them during business hours (Chicago time zone) and a live person will help you with specifics to your student. They are shockingly accessible!
3/9 – corporate offers made. Decision required by 3/21.
3/24 – NMSC offers made ($1K/yr for 4 years is what I was told). Decision by early April (don’t know exact date)
5/2 – University offers made ($500-$2K/yr for 4 yrs). These offers generally require students to specify a certain university on the NMSC portal
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It is def on top of it.
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Looks like the NMSC scholarship is $2500 this year.
Did anyone that received a NMF scholarship today have the college choice listed as undecided or did you have a specific school listed as first choice?
About the 1/2 tuition and $4K ($1K/yr) at USC - the 1/2 tuition is from USC as college sponsor and the $4K is from NMSC? So you can get both and it’s guaranteed if admitted as a NMF?
The half tuition is from USC. The 4K is from USC as a “college sponsor.” If you are NM and you are accepted, USC will award you at least a half-tuition scholarship. If you did not receive a corporate NM scholarship or the $2500 NMSC scholarships that were announced today, then USC will give you an additional $4K to make you a NM Scholar.
Note: In the past it was $4K from USC but I do not know if they have raised or lowered that amount.
Thank you! And declining the $2500 would make the student eligible for the $4k assuming this is the correct amount?
No, declining the $2500 will NOT make the student eligible for the $4K. It will just make them lose the $2500.
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Oh! Thank you! I’m so confused … receiving the $2500 makes the student ineligible for the $4000? Is there a scenario where the student would decline the $2500?
Call NMSC to confirm. My understanding is that once you are named a Scholar (either through a corporation or through NMSC), you are not eligible for college sponsored Scholar award (ie. the $4K from USC).
Okay thank you!
I think you can decline the $2500 and get the $4000, but agree call NMSC. They are super helpful.
This is 100% correct. NMFs are offered max 1 scholar award. If declined, that’s it. It is confusing when discussing it in context of uni’s that offer major merit to NMFs, but those merit $ are indep of NM scholar awards.
I hope this incorrect. We did not ask for the scholar award of $2500 for one year. My son thought he had until May 1 to choose and the school he most likely will choose has a NMF of 2 K for 4 years. Why would he be penalized and lose the 8k if he declined the 2500 that he did not request? This is very confusing.
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From the top of page 4 here.
Consideration for a college-sponsored Merit Scholarship award is limited to Semifinalists who qualify as Finalists and who also:
- report to NMSC that a sponsor college is their first choice (see Sponsors of National Merit Scholarships in the 2022
National Merit Scholarship Program); - have applied for admission to the sponsor college; and
-
have not been offered any other National Merit Scholarship (corporate-sponsored, National, or another college sponsored award). No student will receive more than one scholarship offer from NMSC.
A college-sponsored Merit Scholarship award can be used only at the institution financing it and therefore is canceled if thewinner changes college choice.
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So if this is true, I am going to vomit. We were told he had until May 1st. This $2500 award is now a penalty and not a blessing. I have to pray that there is some mistake because we just lost out on $5500.
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