<p>The Smart Grant may not be around too much longer, as noted above the USDOE seems to be trying to deemphasize such programs. </p>
<p>And congratulations on your D’s merit scholarships. </p>
<p>There have been some problems with these depending on the state and the school. Here Colorado at some schools scholarships are processed through a private corporation before even being considered by the academic divisions. No doubt the claim is that this ‘saves money’. But it is a blatant conflict of interest to have a private company whose main business is loans, vetting scholarship eligibility. Not to mention an abrogation of venue by the FA offices of the schools involved. </p>
<p>And no doubt under a system of that kind, some who clearly deserve a merit scholarship may not get one because their eligibility parameters have been skewed.</p>