NMS $2500 vs. college-sponsored scholarships

PlanoDad42
Sat, 09 Feb 2013 15:43:25 +0000

The national merit website has the following very-helpful document:

http://nationalmerit.org/Merit_About_Leaflet.pdf

A few excerpts:

“In late January 2013, a committee of experienced college admission officers and high school counselors will meet to choose the winners of National Merit $2500 Scholarships.”





So the winners of the $2500 scholarships have already been selected, just not announced.





“Winners in each state (or other selection unit) will be the Finalists judged by committee members to have the most distinguished credentials and potential for academic success, without consideration of financial need, college choice, or major and career plans.”





College choice had no bearing on being selected although geography may have.





“Also, if NMSC receives notice of a change in college choice from a Finalist to whom a college-sponsored Merit Scholarship offer has already been mailed, the student cannot be offered another college-sponsored award—even if the new choice of college is one that also sponsors
Merit Scholarship awards.”





You can receive only one Merit Scholarship offer.





“Early in March, NMSC will begin notifying each sponsor college about Finalists who have reported that institution as their first choice. College officials will choose all winners of their Merit Scholarship awards from among these Finalists. A sponsor college may decide to offer a
Merit Scholarship award to every Finalist who is admitted or choose to limit the number of awards it provides. After receiving the college’s report of its winner selections, NMSC will mail formal scholarship offers to the selected Finalists.”





Designating a first-choice school on March 1st could potentially trigger an MS offer from that school. Depending on your particular set of schools and preferences, this may or may not be a good thing.





Keep in mind the Merit Scholarships referred to in this document are the stipends of $2-to-8k, not the entire NMF scholarship package potentially offered by the school.