Merit scholarships are a type of gift aid that help pay for college by rewarding talent. Most merit based scholarships go to students who stand out with strong academics.
Recipients of a merit scholarship may be high academic achievers or have strong athletic, artistic or other skills and values. Eligible students must also show a desire to serve the community or leadership skills.
Some merit scholarships also may look at financial need. But most of the time accomplishments and academic excellence are the primary factors to win a merit scholarship.
How Do You Get a Merit Scholarship?
Merit awards are different from needs based scholarships. A need-based scholarship uses family income to make decisions. Instead, the merit scholarship sponsors usually start out with a goal or reason why they offer it. This might be to develop their industry with smart minds or invest in the future of their community and college.
There are various criteria to qualify for a merit scholarship. Sometimes you need to be a member of a specific association or enrolled in the university. Other scholarship providers may specifically offer it to minority students, female students or for certain majors like STEM.
Either way, you’ll need to see if you qualify. One example is the Women Techmakers Scholarship. It is an academic merit scholarship. In order to be eligible, eligible students must show strong academic performance, leadership, and impact on the community of women in tech. You may fit the bill as an upstanding male student, but this one is for girls.
What is Merit?
That stated, what ‘merit’ means generally depends on the organization granting the scholarship. Some merit scholarships look at academic performance, test scores, and your recommendations. Others may only look at your SAT/ACT test scores.
Still others focus on your dedication to and performance in a specific field of study. This can be anything from music to math and others.
Many private companies, groups and nonprofits fund merit scholarships. There are no federal funds for merit-based scholarships.
Some merit scholarship providers are from local communities such as churches and cultural groups. Companies such as Google, Gates Foundation or Coca Cola also offer merit scholarships.
Most colleges also award merit scholarships. Often alumni endow funds to use for these awards. Merit based awards may thus carry the name of a person so that their legacy continues. You’ll also find charitable foundations offering merit aid which sometimes look at financial need.
What GPA do You Need to Get a Merit Scholarship?
An academic merit scholarship often requires a strong GPA. But the actual grade point average you need to get a merit scholarship varies.
For instance, you need a cumulative GPA of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale to qualify for the SHRM Foundation’s Graduate Scholarships. This awards $5,000 to a graduate student pursuing an HR degree related program.
The Voice of Democracy Scholarship awards $30,000 to one national first place winner. Most high school students as well as military students may apply.
How Much is a Merit Scholarship?
The U.S. Department of Education tracks the aid schools award to undergraduates. According to the NCES study, they looked at the amount of money high-merit students received. It found that those in selective schools got about 58% of their tuition. Those in less selective schools received about 46% of their tuition amounts.
What Qualifies You to be a National Merit Scholar?
National Merit Scholars have the highest PSAT/NMSQT® Selection Index scores. About 1.6 million enter to compete. But about 50,000 qualify for recognition in the National Merit® Scholarship Program.
Each September, the sponsor colleges notify the recipients. They let them know if they have qualified as either a Commended Student or Semifinalist. Then about 15,000 semifinalists move to finalist standing.
About 7,600 winners of Merit Scholarship® awards (Merit Scholar® designees) may be notified. Part of the decision making process looks at students’ abilities, skills, and accomplishments.
How Do You Get the Most Money for Merit Scholarships?
Many scholarship providers factor in both need and merit. There are at least six things that may help you get the most merit aid for college.
Don’t forget to fill out the FAFSA. Depending on your circumstances, you may be eligible for federal aid too. This might be useful if the amount of your merit scholarship is not enough to pay tuition, fees, housing etc.
Apply to schools where your grades put you ahead. Many college admissions look at the entire pool of applicants. You may be ahead of the student body in some colleges and not in others.
Check whether the merit scholarship is renewable. If so, abiding by the terms may help pay your entire four years at college.
Make sure you understand the net cost of attending each school you apply to. Then assess the amount of merit aid you can get and see what makes the most sense to you.
Figure out where your talents lie and use them when you search for scholarships. It doesn’t have to be high marks. The Doodle for Google Scholarship rewards creativity.
When applying to a college or university, look at their financial aid section and scan for merit scholarships to see if you qualify.
This award is available to Tennessee high school seniors who are planning to attend an eligible postsecondary institution in Tennessee. The student must have a weighted grade point average of 3.0 or higher and a 980 or higher SAT (math and critical reading only) or 21 or higher ACT score. Learn more and apply today!
This award is available for South Carolina resident high school seniors who plan to attend an eligible South Carolina public or private college or university. The student must have a cumulative grade point ratio of 3.0 or higher based on the Uniform Grading Scale upon high school graduation.
This award is available to Tennessee high school seniors who are planning to attend an eligible postsecondary institution in Tennessee. The student must have a grade point average of 3.75 or higher and a 1280 or higher SAT (math and critical reading only) or 29 or higher ACT score.
This award is available to Tennessee residents who are planning to attend an eligible postsecondary institution in Tennessee. Students must be a foster child and meet the high school requirements for the Tennessee HOPE scholarship or the Tennessee HOPE Access grant.
This award is available to Tennessee high school seniors who are planning to attend an eligible postsecondary institution in Tennessee. The student must have a grade point average of 2.75 or higher and a SAT score or 860-970 or an ACT score of 18-20. The student’s parents’ (or independent student’s and spouse’s) adjusted gross income must be $36,000 or less.
This full-tuition scholarship is available for U.S. and international first-year students who plan to attend Babson College in Massachusetts. Students must have a straight-A average and rank in the top 5 percent of their class to be competitive.
This award is for Louisiana resident high school students who are currently in 11th or 12th grade. The student must be concurrently enroll at a Lousiana public college in a vocational course of study leading to an industry-based certification in an eligible demand Occupation.
This scholarship is available for New Jersey high school seniors who reside in designated high-need communities and plan to attend an eligible New Jersey institution. Students must rank in the top 5 percent of their high school class and have a grade point average of 3.0 or higher; students must also demonstrate financial need as calculated by HESAA.
This full-tuition scholarship is available for U.S. high school seniors who plan to major in computer science or information technology and systems at Marist College. Students must be academicially talented and demonstrate financial need by being Pell Grant eligible.
This award is available to U.S. undergraduate students who are attending Cottey College in Missouri. Students must demonstrate a strong academic proficiency in art, dance, music, or theatre/speech.
