Stupid question: How exactly do merit scholarships work?

KKmama
Wed, 25 Dec 2013 17:04:02 +0000

You need to look at the website for each school that you have applied to. Some schools provide merit scholarships and some do not - private colleges have more money to offer than state schools have.

The schools offer merit scholarships to entice students that have superior test scores and GPA’s, in order to raise their own averages for student performances. Some schools offer automatic scholarships to every student who surpasses a specific GPA and test score; others have more discretion in choosing whom to award. For example, my daughter received an automatic 80% tuition reduction from one college but needed an interview to compete with others for a full tuition scholarship at another school. She did not win that one.