<p>Are grants given primarily as a function of need? In other words can a family with a high EFC expect to recieve grants? Is there such a thing as a “grant” based purely upon academic merit… like a merit scholarship?</p>
<p>My understanding is that it’s a matter of semantics. Grant is basically just another name for a scholarship, but it’s become the preferred term for non-merit “scholarship” money, particularly at colleges that don’t give merit aid.</p>
<p>A student that a non-merit school really wants to attract can get grant money based on academic merit in several round-about ways. The most common is as part of a preferential package. (A typical student at a non-merit school with a calculated need of $10,000 might get $3500 in loan, $1500 in work study, and $5000 in grant. A highly desirable student at the same school might be offered $10,000 in outright grant money, which comes pretty close to a “grant” based on academic merit.) </p>
<p>In addition, there are some colleges that essentially offer to write a check for several thousand dollars to top admits to use for summer travel, an internship, volunteer work, research project, etc. Since those activities are not part of the required curriculum, that doesn’t count as a merit scholarship either. There are many variations on this theme, including “start-up” funds for expenses like books and/or travel. </p>
<p>CC also has its share of rumors of schools that become remarkably generous in calculating the EFC for top admits. </p>
<p>If the question is whether non-merit schools use financial incentives to attract particularly sought after students, the answer is a resounding yes.</p>
<p>Grants are money that you don’t have to work for and you don’t have to pay back. They can be based on need; many financial aid packages contain some combination of grants, loans and work study.</p>
<p>Merit scholarships are also grants, and many schools below the “Ivy level” as that term is used here on CC do give merit scholarships. My d received one (we did not qualify for need-based aid); a couple of friends are going to college with full merit scholarships.</p>