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 for international and U.S. undergraduate and/or graduate students who attend or plan to attend the University of Arizona. Students must have a grade point average of 2.5 or higher and pursue a career in the environmental arena.
This award is available for U.S. and international students who have been accepted to or are currently enrolled in an undergraduate degree program. Students must be pursuing a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice or a closely-related field and have maintained the equivalent of a ‘B’ average.
This award is for U.S. undergraduate and graduate students who are or will be attending an accredited college or university full-time. Applicants must have a 2.5 GPA and be planning to or currently pursuing a degree leading to a career in the performing arts.
First-generation U.S. citizens, refugees, or immigrants who are residents of Wake County in North Carolina and have completed one or more academic years at a Wake County high school are eligible for this award. The student must have a grade point average of 2.5 or higher and enroll full time at a postsecondary institution in North Carolina.
High school seniors graduating from Southern High School in Durham, North Carolina who have a grade point average of 2.5 or higher are eligible for this award. Students must demonstrate financial need and plan to attend a two- or four-year college or university.
This scholarship is available for minority students who are enrolled in a Ph.D. program at one of the following universities: Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Medical College of Georgia, and the University of Georgia. Applicants must demonstrate high academic achievement, intent to pursue a career in academia, and must be residents of Georgia.
This award is available for U.S. minority students who are currently enrolled in a Ph.D. program and planning to pursue a career as a professor. Applicants must be residents of South Carolina and must attend one of the following institutions: Clemson University, Medical University of South Carolina, or University of South Carolina at Columbia.
This award is available for U.S. minority students who are currently enrolled in a Ph.D. program and planning to pursue a career as a professor. Applicants must be residents of Virginia and must enroll at one of the following eligible institutions: College of William and Mary, George Mason University, Old Dominion University, University of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.
This scholarship is available for U.S. high school seniors and undergraduate students in the Ohio Valley Region (Southern Indiana, Kentucky, Western Tennessee and Southern Ohio) who are planning to major in engineering and pursue a career in iron and steel technology. Applicants must be AIST members or dependents of AIST members.
