As college admissions have become more competitive and tuition has increased across the board, schools are offering more and more merit scholarships in order to entice top-tier students to attend. Merit scholarships—as opposed to need-based scholarships, which are distributed according to financial need—are awarded for talent in academics, service, athletics, the arts, and other areas.
Each college has its own method of bestowing scholarship funds, so it is important to research the merit aid process at each school on your college list. Some colleges automatically consider all applicants for merit scholarships. Other schools require applicants to complete a separate merit scholarship application and/or essay. Colleges vary in their cutoff dates by which students must apply to be considered for merit aid; Emory, for example, has a deadline of November 15 for both Early Decision II and Regular Decision applicants if they want to apply for merit scholarships (the November 1 deadline remains in place for EDI applications). There are also colleges like the University of Rochester that offer returning students the opportunity to apply for merit scholarships, which are awarded in addition to any scholarship money they were granted as incoming freshmen.
Factors that Determine Merit Aid
Your high school academic record is usually the most important factor in determining your chances of being offered merit aid. For many students, this can be their largest source of scholarship funding. In fact, some colleges, including Boston College and Duke, award full-tuition merit scholarships to small groups of exceptionally qualified students. Colleges weigh factors including grade point average, standardized test scores, and the strength of your high school curriculum to determine the recipients of this type of funding. For qualified applicants to the Gabelli Presidential Scholars Program at Boston College, for example, they “are looking for students with outstanding academic records, who hold leadership roles in their school and who are committed to and have a demonstrated interest in community service. Typically, the students selected are in the top 1-2 percent of the national pool of freshman applicants.”
But factors outside of your academic record—such as your athletic talent, extracurricular interests, and artistic abilities—can play a role, too. The unique institutional priorities of each college influence the nature of its merit scholarships. Lehigh University, for example, offers a number of arts-based scholarships, including the Cutler-Sametz Choral Arts Scholarships, which provide financial aid and free vocal lessons to talented singers, and the Performing Arts Scholarships in Theatre, which “recognize students with exceptional theatrical (including performance, design, technical, and playwriting) talent.” Rutgers, meanwhile, has merit scholarships available to students who actively competed on FIRST robotics teams in high school.
Finally, there are certain merit scholarships that are available only to members of specific demographic groups. At the University of Michigan, for example, there are scholarships offered specifically to students who are the children of first responders; students who are members of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities; and students who are direct blood descendants of American WWI veterans.
Automatic Consideration vs. Separate Application
Some colleges, such as Tulane, Oberlin, and Baylor automatically consider all applicants for merit scholarships. Most such colleges will consider students for merit aid based solely on the application for admission, but some require that students complete the FAFSA or click “yes” on the Common Application to be considered for merit scholarships at that particular school.
At other schools, separate applications may be required. These supplemental applications may include additional essays and/or samples of your work, such as portfolios of your work or videos of theatrical or musical performances for arts-based scholarships. The Signature Scholars Programs at Washington University in St. Louis, for example, require that applicants respond to a short answer question for each program they apply to, and, if they become finalists, participate in a series of virtual events (including an interview) in March.
At Vanderbilt University, once a student applies for admission, they are emailed within three business days to set up a separate account with which to submit their scholarship applications by December 1. Boston University has a particularly generous Trustee Scholarship: each year, 20 incoming students are selected to receive this scholarship which covers their full tuition (renewable each year), including mandatory undergraduate fees. To be considered for this prestigious award, you must submit your Common Application, as well as the Trustee Scholarship essay, by December 1.
In addition to their automatic consideration of students for some partial merit scholarships, Tulane has several additional merit scholarships that require supplemental materials and application procedures, such as the Stamps Scholarship (total cost of attendance, including tuition, fees, housing and meals) and the Community Service Fellowship which offers full-tuition scholarships to select members.
Schools that Award Significant Merit Aid
Based on information from the Common Data Set initiative, a few of the colleges that award the highest average merit aid package (in dollars) to non-need undergraduates include Duke, Swarthmore College, Washington & Lee University, and University of Richmond. Swarthmore’s average merit award for students with no financial need, for example, is $62,424.
It is important to keep in mind, however, that often these schools only award merit aid to a small percentage of their students: Swarthmore gives these generous packages to less than 1% of students! In contrast, the colleges that award merit aid to a higher percentage of non-need undergraduates often offer smaller packages as a result. Fairfield University, for example, awards merit aid to ~60% of students, with an average package of $23,408.
This info can be found within each college’s Common Data Set, which is available on the school’s website. The Common Data Set is a collaborative initiative among higher education institutions to provide a standard format for colleges to report data on enrollment, admissions, financial aid, academic programs, and student life.
Benefits Associated with Merit Scholarships
When evaluating your options, keep in mind that merit scholarships can offer more than just monetary rewards. Many, such as UVA’s Jefferson Scholars Program, offer valuable enrichment opportunities, such as study abroad programs, leadership retreats, and professional development and networking opportunities.
Another example is the Bonner Scholars Program at the University of Richmond, which is tied to a deep commitment to community service. Scholarship recipients commit to intern for ten hours a week at a school, nonprofit, or government agency throughout all four years of college, and spend two summers interning 30 hours a week for seven weeks. Bonner Scholars also participate in on-campus reflective exercises and educational programming meant to strengthen their understanding of social issues and civic engagement.
College is expensive, and there are many paths to finding the school that best fits your interests and financial capabilities. For more guidance and information on college-sponsored merit scholarships or any other aspect of admissions, feel free to set up a complimentary consultation to learn about our college admissions consulting services. Whatever your question, Collegiate Gateway is happy to help!
