Are Rutgers First Year Merit Scholarships no longer guaranteed?

Colleges & Universities Rutgers University
1

<p>Rutgers used to post a grid with the scholarship amounts awarded for various SAT M+CR scores and class ranks, but I don’t see this any more. Are merit scholarships no longer certain? If you are a student with a 1500 M+CR and a top 5% rank, are you not certain to get the Presidential award? Wondering if the economy has killed what used to at least be a financial safety option for high achieving in-state students. </p>

<p>[Rutgers</a> | Rutgers Admissions](<a href=“http://admissions.rutgers.edu/costs/scholarships/firstyearscholarships.aspx]Rutgers”>http://admissions.rutgers.edu/costs/scholarships/firstyearscholarships.aspx)</p>

2

<p>Its only a guideline now. They (starting this year) now factor in course load, which is the number of AP and Honors classes. If your kid meets the requirements, chances are that he or she already has a strong course load so it shouldn’t be a problem.</p>

3

<p>Last year they took the matrix down in the Summer and then posted back again around Christmas. The requred stats are not cut in stone - for example, you may get a large scholarship with a class rank below 50% if you are in a magnet school with high achieving classmates.</p>

4

<p>Is Rutgers cutting back on overall merit scholarships (either smaller awards per student or fewer students awarded scholarships?) because of state and university cutbacks? It is good that they are revising criteria to consider rigor of HS courses, and magnet programs, etc. That had been a weak link in the past that deprived some very worthy students. But I wonder if within this new discretionary approach, fewer/smaller awards will be made. NJ was concerned about a brain drain–top students heading out of state for college–that merit scholarships and Gov. School programs were supposed to combat. But the state cut Gov. Schools back last summer and this summer, so I wonder if the commintment to merit scholarships has been reduced as well.</p>

5

<p>The biggest reason I’m going to Rutgers is the the Presidential scholarship I got…When compared to another state school (TCNJ), who offered me only $6500 a year (which was apparently their highest award to anyone who wasn’t a person of color)…In short, it attracted me to Rutgers, and I’m sure it attracted many other students to Rutgers as well, I really hope they don’t get of these scholarships because they provide a service for in-state students looking for a quality education at a sound price.</p>

6

<p>rumor has it that merit scholarships were revoked for current students.</p>

7

<p>^ …They can do that!!!..</p>

8

<p>yeah i got an email saying that they’re taking away my scholarship, saying i didn’t meet the requirements even though i did. but so did TONS of other people. so it’s definitely a mistake. or at least i’m hoping so…</p>

9

<p>Which type of scholarship are they “taking away”? Does its continuation have anything to due with maintaining a certain GPA at Rutgers? Is Rutgers also raising required GPAs for renewal of these scholarships?</p>

<p>My daughter was awarded a James Dickson Carr scholarship ($10K/yr) for '08-09 as an entering freshman. Its annual renewal required a certain GPA, but Rutgers had raised that required GPA from 2.8 in '07-'08 to 3.0 in '08-'09. We wondered if Rutgers was going to play a shell game with the scholarship–raise the GPA required for continuation without any notice–from year to year. She decided to take a full tuition scholarship elsewhere without such strings attached rather than risk losing this one at Rutgers, where the average graduating GPA in the major she was considering were actually lower than 3.0. Any merit scholarship and its renewal terms should be guaranteed NOT to change over the 4 years that it is offered. But with Rutgers, who knows?</p>

<p>Also, be sure to ask how long it takes to graduate in your intended school/major. Your merit scholarship may only be for 4 years, but because of scheduling conflicts etc, you may need more time that that to graduate. For example, in the Engineering School it is usual to need 5 years.</p>

10

<p>naoise, please elaborate. You must take at least 12 credits per semester and have a GPA>3.0 for each semester or maybe for the year I can’t remember. Those are the requirements last time I checked.</p>

11

<p>what do you mean, please elaborate? the requirements for my scholarship are the same. I received the following email from ru financial aid:</p>

<p>''You were notified at the time of your admission to Rutgers University , that in June of each year, the academic records of all students who receive a Scarlet Scholarship are reviewed to determine eligibility for renewal. The requirement for renewal is a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.00, and completion of a minimum of 24 credits for each academic year.</p>

<p>We have reviewed your record, and we regret to inform you that, because you do not meet the requirement noted above, your Scarlet Scholarship has not been renewed for the academic year 2009-2010.</p>

<p>There are three ways you can have this non-renewal reversed:</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Changes in your current grades which result in your meeting the requirements;</p></li>
<li><p>Completion of coursework during the summer 2009 (if the deficiency is your cumulative grade point average, course work must be completed at Rutgers; if the deficiency is total number of credits, course work can be completed at any institution – in either case, courses must be approved by an academic advisor);</p></li>
<li><p>If #’s 1 or 2 do not occur, but if at the end of the Fall 2009, Spring 2010 semesters or at the end of summer 2010, your cumulative average meets the minimum standard and/or results in accumulation of the appropriate number of credits (12 credits per semester), the scholarship can be reinstated.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>In any of these cases, it is your responsibility to inform this office in writing once the cumulative average or credit requirement has been met: At that time we will review your academic record, and proceed as appropriate. </p>

<p>Note: if you do not meet the requirement by the end of the 2010 Summer Session, you will no longer be eligible for reinstatement.</p>

<p>If there are extenuating circumstances that have affected your academic performance, please contact the appropriate Scholarship Administrator to discuss guidelines for a possible appeal. Appeal letters must be received by the Scholarship Administrator no later than July 24, 2009.</p>

<p>If you have filed a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), and if at a later date your Scarlet Scholarship is reinstated, it may be necessary to revise your aid package.‘’</p>

<p>no, the requirements have not changed from the initial award letter. it has always been a 3.0 gpa. they sent the same email to many of my friends who also have the same scholarship. it is clearly some sort of error on rutgers’ part. rutgers is NOT raising gpa requirements. i will be calling financial aid first thing monday morning.</p>

12

<p>also, someone i know called the financial aid office complaining about said email, and they assured her it was a mistake, and that they will also be sending apology emails accordingly. </p>

<p>this whole situation is not really a cause for concern.</p>