Thanks! What are your sons’ majors? Mine will be actuarial science - so School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics.
Both are CS majors, youngest finishes with his MS in May and already has job starting as soon as he graduates. The older one is currently working on his PhD. UTD has really been a great fit for both of them and the NM package and honors program are wonderful!
We went through the whole BU early NMF first choice selection date issue in 2022. S22 was also applying to USC, and wanted the opportunity to switch his NMF first choice selection to USC even if he received the BU NMF scholarship offer, as he was undecided. I spoke to BU admissions, which were not helpful. I spoke to NMSC, which were very helpful. They confirmed that the BU half tuition offer does not trigger the first choice lock. It was the awarding of the $500 NMF college sponsored scholarship that triggers the lock. NMSC does not process that offer until May. From what NMSC told me, as long as he changed his choice before May, he would be able to receive the NM scholarship from a different school. On May 1, they look at a student’s account and only process offers at that time if a school offer matches with a student’s first choice. They do not process offers as they are received. Based on that info, S22 put down BU as first choice in Feb. Then, when he was admitted to BU but not given enough of a scholarship to attend, he switched his first choice selection to USC before May. He received the USC half-tuition NMF scholarship.
Thanks for this. I bookmarked your post for when students/parents ask in the future.
Just popping in because I was so confused last year. My NMF did not name a top choice school through NMSC until the very last minute, after we had already committed to her school (Fordham). She loved USC and would have named it first choice, but was not admitted. She originally got a full-tuition scholarship and was surprised when she got the additional $2k through Fordham after naming it as her first choice. So my point is, we waited and it worked out great for her. But definitely make a top choice just in case! (Also, Fordham was not even on our radar and has ended up being ideal for her, so enjoy the ride!)
I am so glad Fordham is working out for your daughter! Being from 1,200 miles away, it wasn’t on our radar either.
And I agree the whole “Top Choice” thing is so confusing. I wish the NMSC would just do away with that requirement!
Do NMF need to do something to renew the scholarship for the 2024-2025 school year?
We just need to wait for the scholar results , which I believe will be announced in May? Nothing else is needed from the kids
Yes. I feel like our son completed it online and put on calendar for around now or early March? I can ask if this doesn’t help:
In early March, NMSC® will mail detailed instructions for completing an Online Scholarship Renewal Application for the upcoming academic year to Scholars at their home addresses. If NMSC does not receive the Scholar’s completed renewal application, an additional notification will be sent by email. If the Scholar does not submit the completed renewal application after this reminder, the scholarship will be withdrawn, and no further payments will be issued.
Is that just for a renewal of an NMSC scholarship? Or does the NMSC give renewal info to the college they attend?
My dd got the $2500 scholar one but it was a one time only.
Her school provides the real scholarship and they have their own renewal criteria.
Would she need to do something through NMSC?
My student received a college sponsored NMSC scholarship and received an annual renewal letter from NMSC.
did they get it for this year?
My NM student is a senior at USC and will graduate in May. They received it in the spring of their sophomore and junior years.
I would have your daughter call college board and ask.
She would need to contact National Merit about this, not College Board.
Oh right sorry I mistyped. (847) 866-5100 I think. If I recall from a couple years ago, the people there were very helpful with questions about putting a college as first choice etc. and deadlines for renewal. Our student called.
Yes, National Merit staff is SO nice and friendly and helpful. They actually have humans in their office answering the phone and transferring you to the right person. Night and day difference from College Board customer service.
Definitely - student said they were very nice - and it doesn’t hurt to call the school itself after this to confirm everything with and to them (for the school sponsored awards) (I had our student send me an email with what NMSF said and then summary of conversation with school so I had something for our records, and now that I type that, I could probably find it and answer the “when” question). It would stink to miss the deadline now that they did all the hard work to get it.
I put it on my calendar last year (for this year) to remind myself to check on it if we hadn’t received anything by this point. Has anyone else received anything by mail? I’ll keep checking daily. I’m glad to know there are email reminders in place for future years. I have this irrational fear of missing something and my son losing his full ride scholarship. HA! If anyone gets theirs in the mail, could you please post here so we know it’s been sent out? Thanks!
My student received, at our home address, a one page letter in the mail (#10 envelope) telling him he made finalist last week.