My daughter was offered merit scholarships from two different universities in our local state of Texas. One was more than the other and wondering if there is a way to haggle with them to try and get the lower one to match with the higher one. Any advice would be much appreciated.
Are they “automatic” merit awards based on stats? Is the lower one her clear first choice (i.e. if they increase the award she will attend?) Are the performance requirements the same to keep the scholarships (i.e. both require a 3.5 to qualify for sophomore year) or does one have more requirements than the other?
Yes, they are based off her ranking and GPA. They both have the same requirements for 4 years.
Does the lower scholarship school even offer a higher merit award for higher stats?
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Is the school that offered less money much more selective than the one that offered more money? If so, you will have a tough time getting the “less money” school to match the offer of the other school, and if the scholarships are automatically awarded, it’s not very likely I think. You can ask though. The worst they will say is no.
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Depends upon the particular schools as to whether or not the school will match or compete to beat an applicant’s other scholarship offers.
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And depends on whether the kid is ready to commit if the school matches the higher number, or is just window shopping. If a kid gets the direct question “if we re-evaluate your award are you prepared to commit” the answer needs to be “yes”, not "well, I’ve got three colleges I haven’t heard from yet-- so maybe.
Agree with Publisher-- it really depends on the school.
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The school that offered less money is easier to get into than the other university which is also a larger school. She’s ready to commit if they can offer or match the other school. At this point anything extra will help. It’s a $2k difference between the two.
I’d show them her other offer and tell them she is ready to commit if they can match it. Be sure you mean it.
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State schools typically don’t negotiate automatic merit but they might be able to throw in supplemental scholarships if they really like your kid.
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This! Like one of the other responses, there is nothing to be lost by asking but don’t ask unless you’re prepared to commit if they agree. Some schools may want to see the offer letter from the other school before matching.
They also will consider if it’s an “equivalent program at an equivalent cost”. If school A is $70K and gives a $20K merit and school B is $50K with a $10K merit - I wouldn’t expect school B to match the $20K of school A.
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Sounds like a dealership:
“If we can match their trade offer, will you buy our vehicle today?”
Same concept.
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More like 2 or 3 vehicles 
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We were successfully able to negotiate an increase in merit aid for my D23 at a private college. It was her top choice (where she’s a film student now) but initially unaffordable. We first worked with the school to obtain financial aid but ultimately didn’t qualify, but the college increased her scholarships from $10k to $25k a year.
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If these are smaller lacs the answer is yes but it depends on their policy. My daughter went through this. But you have to be very honest. Call them and just say we need your help to have my daughter commit today. It’s between school A and B. I can send you the merit she got but I need to have you match this for her to attend. They want to fill seats. We did this through emails and attach the awards. They did give more beyond what we asked. We also wanted to know if they could help with the dorm costs. They said they maxed out the merit and I told them I am talking about dorm cost now. They ended up giving her an additional $3,000 for the dorm. So… It never hurts to ask… Especially such a small amount.
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Did you call them first then email or go straight to emailing? I’d like to get started on it asap.
School B with the lower amount of scholarship she qualified for the Presidential Scholarship which ranges from $5,000 - $12,000 per year. She was awarded $5,000. I do believe she would had been awarded more but her SAT scores were not 1300 or more. She scored between 1100 - 1200. She does have a super high GPA and will be graduating in the top 3% of her class of a little over 400 students.
Will that difference in the SAT test score make that big of a difference?
I took this directly from their website.
Amount: $5,000 to $12,000 per year
Qualifications: Your completed admissions application allows you to be automatically considered for the Presidential Scholarship. Students are awarded based on the average of the applicant pool as every student is rated using the same metric based on high school rank and test scores. Eligible students will have a competitive academic profile – typically a total score of 1300 on the new SAT (Evidence-Based Reading and Writing + Math) or an ACT Composite of 27, with a class rank in the top 10 percent. Admitted applicants who are eligible for Presidential Scholarship will be notified via U.S. mail.
Students with no class rank: Students without a class rank can still be considered for Presidential Scholarships. In such cases, the University determines scholarship eligibility based on the standing of applicants with similar academic credentials. In general, if a student is in the top 10 percent of their class, it is in their best interest to provide that information to the University. In lieu of an official ranking provided on the transcript, a statement of rank provided by a school administrator is sufficient. The statement of rank should include a student’s name, student ID, and a confirmation as to whether the student would fall in the top 10 percent, top 15 percent, etc., of their respective graduating class.
Students with no test scores: Students who are unable to take the ACT/SAT test due to the ongoing pandemic or other extenuating circumstances will still be considered for the Presidential Scholarships. In such cases, the University determines eligibility based on other criteria, such as class rank and high school GPA. Students are strongly encouraged to submit their test scores if they test at a later date and request reconsideration for the Presidential Scholarship.
Scholarship reconsideration: Students can request reconsideration for the Presidential Scholarship based on new SAT/ACT test scores and/or class rank information. For Fall applicants, reconsideration requests will be accepted through March 1st. Students are responsible for submitting new high school transcripts and/or SAT/ACT test scores to the Office of Admission. Students must then notify the Office of University Scholarships that they would like their files to be reviewed again by calling.
So I read your next post. Seems to me they left a lot of wiggle room. My daughters now 26, so you have an idea how long ago. But we called first to find out possibilities or other merit and had a contact. At smaller schools we found out that certain departments talk to each other. They could actually be in the same building just down the hall. I was visiting and sitting in the same office area for something and actually heard “so and so seems to really want to be here but needs to talk to financial aid /merit to make it happen”. These were Lacs of under 2,000 students.
Then we followed up with emails to the contact person. At a smaller school that contact person can be the head of the department also. But first off I would just be honest about it. All schools understand financial limitations. They want your daughter at their school. If you are 100% set on the one school, they are there to help. I can’t imagine that for $2,000 they will put up much of a road block (not knowing the school this is only a guess). Worst case maybe they will meet you half way?
If that they say “We need to reserve the merit for other students” then just ask how else they can close the gap you need.
She was being sought after by a few schools, and maybe made this easier but what really ended up helping was emailing the head of the department and merit/scholarship department and being upfront about what the needs were and what the other school offered. That closed the deal.
Again, small school it’s easier and have seen this play out several times. Big Uni, not as much.
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Thanks, the school is Texas A&M Kingsville. It’s a small university in a small town. Also just found out that my daughter did not send in her SAT scores due to not being happy with them. So they offered the Presidential Scholarship just based on ger GPA and school ranking which is 11 out of a little over 400 students. A 1300 SAT score would have defiantly provided her more money in my opinion. What I’m wondering, if she submits her current score which is about a 1120 or so would that help or hurt her. From what I have found, the 75th percentile SAT score is 1080 at the university. We have until the end of the month to submit the score for reevaluation. Do you all think this would work for her or against her with a lower score?
At this point you have nothing to lose- she already has her scholarship, right? You’re just trying to see if there’s room to go up… I’d send the score and see what they say…
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