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 Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship (MMUF) is dedicated to forging a just academy and shaping the future of the humanities. A core objective of MMUF, as part of the Higher Learning program of The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, is multivocality. This refers to MMUF’s commitment to elevating the knowledge that informs more complete and accurate narratives of the human experience and lays the foundation for more just and equitable futures. MMUF strives to amplify perspectives and contributions that have been marginalized within the conventional scholarly record and that promote the realization of a more socially just world.
Student applicants to MMUF will be evaluated based on their prior coursework, their plans for a major, and their potential to bring historically marginalized or underrepresented perspectives to the academy, including by producing scholarly research that reflects and satisfies multivocality.
The MMUF program is designed to encourage sophomore and junior Fellows to enter Ph.D. programs that prepare students for professorial careers in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. It is not intended to support students who plan to go on to medical school, law school, or other professional school programs.
The Hodson Trust and Hodson Gilliam Success scholarships are awarded on the basis of leadership and academic and personal achievement. The scholarship provides approximately two-thirds of the annual tuition costs for around 20 exceptional first-year students.
Hodson Scholars are part of a competitive cohort of students who have achieved excellence not only in their academics, but also in their extracurricular pursuits, and are actively engaged and eager to take the initiative to make meaningful change in the world.
As Hodson Scholars, our students have the chance to engage in meaningful conversations, learn from different perspectives, and collaborate with their peers as they develop their academic and co-curricular passions. While each student at Hopkins has the opportunity to build their own path, Hodson Scholars provide a community to learn with and from each other as they grow in their capacity to contribute to the community both at and beyond Hopkins.
Scholarship recipients enjoy the advantages of being part of this distinctive community, such as joining the Hodson Scholar Student Advisory Board and participating in a mentoring program between incoming students and upperclassmen.
Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) are rapidly changing the world. From new medical breakthroughs to innovative technologies, STEM is at the forefront of human progress.
At Wiingy, we aim to inspire, empower, and provide opportunities for young innovative minds in STEM.
This scholarship is designed for students with a passion for STEM. It is available to all students, regardless of whether they are considering majoring in STEM or are already on the path to a career in STEM.
It’s open to students studying a range of STEM subjects, including but not limited to chemistry, physics, mathematics, biology, computer science, environmental science, engineering, statistics, aerospace, artificial intelligence, and many more.
Are you an undergraduate or graduate student pursuing a career in accounting?
Funded by SOS Inventory, LLC., the Soar to Success Accounting Scholarship is an annual scholarship awarded to qualified students who demonstrate good grades, leadership, and a commitment to excellence.
Being accepted into college is a huge achievement and is the culmination of a student’s hard work and their desire to elevate their learning. This milestone should be celebrated, but the harsh realities of pursuing education can quickly dampen the mood. Finding ways to pay for college and adjusting to a new routine can be challenging and requires ongoing support. Unfortunately, not all students have access to this support system, as they are the first in their family to go to college. This brings unique challenges for these students that others may not experience.
The Dreams to Degrees Scholarship was created to assist students in breaking new ground by being the first in their families to pursue a college education. It recognizes the unique challenges and accomplishments of first-generation students. This scholarship is open to first-generation college students who are accepted or enrolled full-time at an accredited college or university in the United States. Applicants must have a minimum GPA of 3.0. The scholarship award is $1,500.
We want to hear from you through a personal statement or essay describing your journey as a first-generation college attendee and highlight the challenges you have overcome and your aspirations for the future. A scholarship committee will review all applications and select recipients based on their eligibility, academic achievements, and personal statements. Please provide two letters of recommendation and transcripts to confirm eligibility. Applications must be complete by May 1, 2024, to be considered.
Throughout their generosity, the University of California- San Diego offers numerous scholarships to students. Scholarships are gift aid, money you do not have to repay. Scholarships are awarded for either academic merit only, or merit and additional criteria such as major of interest, leadership, or financial need. First-Year merit scholarships are based solely on academic achievement as reflected in your UC admissions application, and first-year restricted scholarships are awarded on academic merit plus additional criteria such as demonstrated financial need, field of interest, or leadership.
BAFTX enables financially challenged, Texas-based students that excel academically to fulfil their exceptional potential by supporting their US college education.
We also provide a unique student learning experience in the UK, giving an early opportunity to broaden perspective and personal vision.
Together these support their aspirations to become leaders in their chosen fields, changing their lives and communities by increasing access to education and meeting the needs of tomorrow’s STEM and business workforce.
APCF was founded in 1990 by AAPI community leaders in response to the need for alternative funding for Los Angeles-based nonprofit organizations serving AAPI communities. Prior to its incorporation, less than 0.3% of all local foundation funds went to AAPI agencies, according to a 1988 study by AAPI Equality Alliance (formerly known as A3PCON – Asian Pacific Policy & Planning Council). In 1986, the United Way of Greater Los Angeles funded only five organizations serving AAPIs. To raise funds for community organizations serving AAPI communities, APCF initiated employee giving campaigns at various workplaces, including private companies, federal agencies, state agencies, county agencies, city agencies, and nonprofit organizations.
In the past decade, APCF has diversified its fundraising efforts by developing other avenues for giving. With the growth of donor-advised funds, giving circles, grant making, scholarship funds, and capacity building initiatives, APCF has been able to cultivate philanthropy among AAPIs while providing multiple vehicles for donors to support the community.
APCF was founded in 1990 by AAPI community leaders in response to the need for alternative funding for Los Angeles-based nonprofit organizations serving AAPI communities. Prior to its incorporation, less than 0.3% of all local foundation funds went to AAPI agencies, according to a 1988 study by AAPI Equality Alliance (formerly known as A3PCON – Asian Pacific Policy & Planning Council). In 1986, the United Way of Greater Los Angeles funded only five organizations serving AAPIs. To raise funds for community organizations serving AAPI communities, APCF initiated employee giving campaigns at various workplaces, including private companies, federal agencies, state agencies, county agencies, city agencies, and nonprofit organizations.
In the past decade, APCF has diversified its fundraising efforts by developing other avenues for giving. With the growth of donor-advised funds, giving circles, grant making, scholarship funds, and capacity building initiatives, APCF has been able to cultivate philanthropy among AAPIs while providing multiple vehicles for donors to support the community.
The Vipin Agrawal Memorial Scholarship Fund provides scholarships to students from low-income and immigrant backgrounds. In order to create diversity in the industry and spark new innovations, it is important to platform diverse undergraduate students.
