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.
The Sief Khafagi Scholarship is dedicated to fostering the pursuit of higher education among students who exhibit exceptional academic achievements. This program offers a $2,500 scholarship aimed at supporting students in state-sponsored colleges or universities.
We believe in the transformative power of education and are committed to assisting dedicated students in achieving their academic aspirations. Apply for the Sief Khafagi Scholarship today and take a step toward realizing your higher education dreams.
The Youth Awards was founded in 1998 by the Hispanic Heritage Foundation. Now entering its 25th year, the Youth Awards honors Latino high school seniors who excel in the classroom and community and for their excellence in various categories including: Community Service, Education, Engineering, Entrepreneurship & Business, Green Sustainability, Healthcare & Science, Media & Entertainment, Public Service & Social Justice, and Technology.
Gold, Silver, and Bronze recipients are selected in each category and receive a one-time grant to fund their college education or to fund a community service effort that tackles a social issue.
Once selected, recipients will be celebrated in 10 virtual ceremonies and will become part of our broader HHF network of 200,000 professionals and fulfill our unique cycle of leadership where we meet America’s priorities in the classroom and workforce.
The Youth Awards program is the main pipeline to Hispanic Heritage Foundation’s (HHF) system of talent that prepares and positions Latino youth through the award-winning Latinos On Fast Track (LOFT) program as they transition from high school, to college, to graduate school, and into their careers. Follow LOFT on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
At Jeffrey Coller, Knoxville Criminal Defense Attorney, we understand the di?culties that many students face as they pursue a college education. As young people leave their parents’ homes, adjust to new situations, become involved in activities on college campuses, earn income through part-time employment, and attend classes, they may struggle to keep their grades up.
The e?orts of those who have encountered and overcome these types of challenges should be recognized. Through our Rising Stars Scholarship, we seek to do just that.
Our scholarship program provides ?nancial assistance to students who have been able to signi?cantly improve their grade point averages since beginning their college education. Each semester, we award a $1,000 scholarship to a student who can demonstrate that their GPA has increased by at least one point from semester to semester or year to year. By supporting students who have overcome academic and personal struggles, we aim to help them ensure that they can achieve their educational goals.
Winners of the Rising Stars Scholarship can use the award to pay tuition or address other costs related to their college education, including housing, books, or supplies. The deadline to apply for the spring 2024 scholarship is March 11, 2024. To apply for the scholarship, please see the instructions below and ?ll out the application form on this page. If you have any questions, please contact us
Revelation Machinery is a used CNC, fabrication, and process equipment dealer offering a large and regulary updated inventory of machines. Having our machines and representatives strategically located throughout the U.S., we’re not only able to offer timely and efficient delivery, but more importantly, first-class, on-site service no matter where our customers are located.
Founded with a mission to make machinery buying and selling easier and more transparent through a focus on long-term partnerships rather than a single transaction, Revelation Machinery has grown into a nationwide business with the added personal service of a local partner. Committed to customer service, we stand behind the used machinery we sell, offering everyone fair pricing, a transparent sales process, and honest communication.
Revelation Machinery is proud to empower the next generation of manufacturing professionals by offering (1) $4,000.00 scholarship to students working towards a degree or certification in manufacturing, engineering, or a related field. We believe in investing in the future of manufacturing and engineering students to build skills and a stronger pipeline into the manufacturing industry.
Our Plano criminal defense practice, The Crowder Law Firm, protects the rights of individuals throughout North Texas who are facing very serious criminal charges. This takes incredibly hard work, skill, and knowledge. We appreciate the time, effort, and resources it takes to get results, and we hope to share that appreciation with students across the United States through our Crowder Law Firm Scholarship.
The Crowder Law Firm offers two $1000 scholarships twice a year to students pursuing higher education who strive to achieve excellent academic performance.
All questions can be answered by our scholarship team at scholarship@crowdercriminalfirm.com. Please note that no questions will be answered via our client contact form, chat box, or by phone.
Greenhouse Scholars is a diverse community of leaders working together to ensure people of all backgrounds can live a life of their choosing. Our Whole Person Program delivers personal, professional, and financial resources through 7 comprehensive program components during 5 years of college.
The Greenhouse Scholars model has proven to create lasting, generational change from within low-income communities. Every Scholar in our program learns how to strategize and create their own plan for community impact, and how to take actionable steps to achieve that plan. The Whole Person program has proven to accelerate our scholars’ ability to solve problems, overcome adversity, and take control of events that occur in their lives, allowing them greater self-confidence, self-determination, and self-efficacy. Ultimately, we are cultivating leaders who are creating and inspiring change in their own backyards, and around the world.
Through a diverse community of thousands of mentors, staff, volunteers, peers, donors, and alumni, we’ve created an ecosystem of support that rallies around our exceptional young leaders, providing them with the personal, professional, and financial resources you’ll need to thrive in their educational careers and start a ripple of impact in their community.
The Satrix Saves The Seas Scholarship is a prestigious award aimed at supporting and encouraging students who are passionate about the field of life sciences and its applications to water conservation. This scholarship recognizes water’s critical role in sustaining life and ecosystems and seeks to foster innovative solutions and advancements in this area.
The scholarship is open to undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in accredited universities or colleges, majoring in any discipline within the life sciences, including but not limited to biology, ecology, environmental science, biochemistry, and hydrology. Applicants should demonstrate a strong academic record, a genuine interest in water conservation, and a commitment to positively impacting this crucial field.
Successful applicants will receive $250 in financial support to further their education and gain recognition for their dedication to water conservation. The scholarship award can be used to cover tuition fees, textbooks, research expenses, or any other educational costs.
The Bayar Fellowship, established in 2020, is dedicated to finding, developing, and supporting the next generation of leaders.
We aim to empower high school students from marginalized communities and low income backgrounds by providing them with the fundamental tools necessary to become leaders in their communities.
The Law Offices of Leifert & Leifert is steadfastly committed to giving back to the community. We continue to stand by this commitment through different artistic, civic, academic, and philanthropic causes.
One of the fundamental ways we give back is by helping young people achieve their full academic potential so they can then have a positive impact within their community and those around them. To promote this idea we have created the Leifert & Leifert Right to Privacy Scholarship.
Shell Company (“Shell”) offers $5,000 annual scholarships through the Shell Incentive Fund Scholarship program to underrepresented students pursuing an undergraduate degree in a specific technical field of study at certain universities. The scholarship can be used to pay for tuition and/or school expenses.
If the necessary criteria are met, at Shell’s discretion, a student’s scholarship may be renewed up to four years or until Bachelor degree requirements are complete, whichever occurs first.
Scholarship recipients are notified of their status during the summer following their application. Renewal of the scholarship is contingent upon the student remaining qualified.
