<p>Hundreds of HYP students with financial need get “merit scholarships” every year. These are not tied to location, or to last name, or to anything else. A determination is made as to the kind of package each student will get. Two students with the same EFC often do NOT get the same package, even from the same school, depending on how high a priority HYP decides they are to attract. In fact, the lawsuit that was launched successfully against the Ivies, charging collusion in financial aid practices pretty much assures the continuation of this merit aid system, as each one tries to attract students away from the others. It’s not called “merit aid” - it’s called “yield management”, and the admissions office at virtually every school hires very high-priced consultants to ensure they are are able to manage their “merit aid” well.</p>