<p>My observations agree with camomof3. My son was a trustee scholar and he and those friends of his who were also T/P tended to come from families that qualified for little to no need-based aid. </p>
<p>Frankly, a student with a very low EFC can attend most schools that offer no-loan FA – including USC – for the same cost as if they received the Trustee merit award. So it’s a draw for them, not an overriding incentive. </p>
<p>OTOH, big merit aid may be most attractive to families stuck in the middle, considered close to full pay at most schools but who are unable to pay full price without major sacrifice/loans. If a top student must decide between Yale or Stanford at full pay (as an example) or USC (top 25 university on the rise) with zero tuition payments for 4 years, many of these students visit USC, like it, and take the merit aid offered. It’s no surprise–this is the whole point. In this way USC has been very successful attracting ivy-level students, which over the years has strengthened the academic reputation of the entire school and dramatically improved its student body as a whole.</p>
<p>Of course, some of the merit awardees do have high calculated need. There are many reasons they could choose USC over other schools! And there are also some award winners who are in that lucky segment that truly does not have to worry about college costs. For these, the pull of free or half-tuition may also not be as strong, but their major or other attributes of USC may make it their top choice.</p>