<p>Is there a list of need-blind no-loan colleges out there? I’m just finding articles saying policies are threatened but nothing definite.</p>
<p>Also, with national merit scholarships - I knew a kid who got a perfect score on his PSAT and was poor. He got into Harvard and made it to finalist but didn’t get any money. What do you need to actually get money? His extracurriculars were probably great given that he got into Harvard as an unhooked kid from NJ.</p>
<p>[Student</a> financial aid in the United States - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia](<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Student_financial_aid_in_the_United_States]Student”>Student financial aid in the United States - Wikipedia)
See no-loan finaid table at the bottom.</p>
<p>H probably does not care about National Merit but they give great need-based aid to students from poor families.</p>
<p>I thought there was a merit scholarship independent of where you go to school. That particular kid got a special scholarship - full ride - from Duke and Harvard matched it. I’m enquiring for another kid who isn’t going to get into Harvard but also needs financial aid. He seems like he will meet his states cutoff. If he’s a junior now it would be 2015, right?</p>
<p>The actual National Merit Corporation scholarships are small, $2500 one-time and are competitive. The real money for NMFs is from colleges that reward NMFs with their own scholarships. Some corporations also have scholarships for their employees kids who are NMFs. Half way down the page:</p>
<p>[National</a> Merit Scholarship Corporation - NMSP](<a href=“http://www.nationalmerit.org/nmsp.php#merit]National”>http://www.nationalmerit.org/nmsp.php#merit)</p>
<p>This thread has a compilation of NMF scholarships. Start at the end and work back for the latest list. But always check the school’s websites to see if the scholarship is still being offered.</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/national-merit-scholarships/649276-nmf-scholarships-updated-compilation.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/national-merit-scholarships/649276-nmf-scholarships-updated-compilation.html</a></p>
<p>NMF status may also help students get the competitive scholarships at other schools that don’t have specific NMF scholarships.</p>
<p>This is not really relevant to the person I’m making enquiries about but I was just wondering what someone would have to do to get that $2500 scholarship. This was obviously a very gifted and needy individual.</p>
<p>Well the link states the $2500 scholarships are awarded without regard to financial circumstances and are awarded on a state representational basis. It doesn’t say how many scholarships there are. I think NMSFs have to fill out an application and take a confirming SAT to be NMF. Don’t know what the application asks for though. Perhaps there were more super high scorers in his state than scholarships.</p>
<p>I was relying on hearsay - that it was need-based. This particular kid got 240 both times he took the psat and 2400 on his sat. And had the grades and extracurriculars to get into Harvard. So I guess most people can assume they’re not getting the money.</p>
<p>knew a kid who got a perfect score on his PSAT and was poor. He got into Harvard and made it to finalist but didn’t get any money.</p>
<p>This makes NO SENSE. A poor student who gets into Harvard would get a free ride…regardless of NMF status.</p>
<p>*This is not really relevant to the person I’m making enquiries about but I was just wondering what someone would have to do to get that $2500 scholarship. This was obviously a very gifted and needy individual.
*</p>
<p>You’re relying on hearsay. The student may have gotten the one time $2500 sent to H. If so, it would have gotten lost within the FA pkg of the other $60k he would have gotten.</p>
<p>I’m enquiring for another kid who isn’t going to get into Harvard but also needs financial aid. He seems like he will meet his states cutoff. If he’s a junior now it would be 2015, right?</p>
<p>???</p>
<p>How would this junior know yet whether he might make his state’s cutoff? The PSAT is given this month, so scores aren’t even known yet.</p>
<p>He had a free ride. His mother just told me that he didn’t get the merit scholarship. He was a finalist but didn’t win? Two different things, I think. I guess if he had gotten the merit scholarship, it would have just been extra money? Or maybe they found out he didn’t get the money before he was accepted to Harvard. Just wondering what you have to do to actually get the money.</p>
<p>“He seems like he will meet his states cutoff”. He took a previous
“real” test and got a 228 and the state cutoff has been 215 and 219. Why do you need an explanation of this? I think you have responded to my posts in the past. Next you will find some way to get angry at me - why would that kid want more money if he already has a free ride?</p>
<p>I’m sorry - that was rude of me.</p>
<p>I think. I guess if he had gotten the merit scholarship, it would have just been extra money</p>
<p>No, it wouldn’t have been extra money. The $2500 would have been sent to H, and H would have adjusted his aid. He may have gotten the one time award. It arrives in Sept. So, he may have first gotten a pkg w/o the mention, and then the school quietly adjusted in Sept.</p>
<p>I think you know if you get the award. They wouldn’t just send it to Harvard without telling the student that he got the award.</p>
<p>In March they tell you you won it. They release the news to media. They don’t just quietly send your college a check. </p>
<p>8,000 Merit Scholarship
®
winners
. Beginning in March 2014,
NMSC
will notify winners of the three types of National Merit Scholarships:
• National Merit
®
$2500 Scholarships
• Corporate-sponsored scholarships
• College-sponsored scholarships
In April, May, and July,
NMSC
will release the names of Merit Scholar
designees to news media for public announcement.</p>
<p>There have been numerous threads regarding the selection criteria for the NMSC $2500 scholarships. There is no obvious formula for who wins. High GPA and high SATs correlate with the winners, but there are examples of very high GPA and very high SAT that did not win. The winners are selected by a committee, and the essays or other non-quantifiable criteria must figure into to the results.</p>
<p>2,500 of the $2500 NMSC scholarships are awarded, on a state-representational basis just like the NMF awards.</p>
<p>I think you know if you get the award. They wouldn’t just send it to Harvard without telling the student that he got the award.</p>
<p>Actually, the notification is just a small letter that could have been overlooked…easily.</p>
<p>That said, he may not have gotten the award.</p>