USC National Merit Finalist Half Tuition Scholarship

Paying for College National Merit Scholarship
41

I agree with lkg4answers answer for the most part except my understanding is that if he doesn’t receive a corporate or NMSC scholarship he will receive the $4K from USC, which will be augmented with additional $$ direct from USC to add up to NM Presidential. So he would get a max benefit of NM Presidential, not the $4K on top of Presidential.

42

Oh interesting, ok. I’m sure he’s not getting a corporate scholarship. Have recipients of the other type-the MNSC scholarship already been notified? This is so confusing!!

43

It is on top of it. My student receives both the merit scholarship (Trustee/Presidential) plus an additional $500/semester for the NM scholarship.

44

OK, that is good to know! And we’ll see how helpful it is when USC decisions come out Friday. :slight_smile:

45

Here are dates for each of the scholarships for this spring per my NMSC convo. And if you have questions, just call them during business hours (Chicago time zone) and a live person will help you with specifics to your student. They are shockingly accessible!

3/9 – corporate offers made. Decision required by 3/21.
3/24 – NMSC offers made ($1K/yr for 4 years is what I was told). Decision by early April (don’t know exact date)
5/2 – University offers made ($500-$2K/yr for 4 yrs). These offers generally require students to specify a certain university on the NMSC portal

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46

It is def on top of it.

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47

Looks like the NMSC scholarship is $2500 this year.

48

Did anyone that received a NMF scholarship today have the college choice listed as undecided or did you have a specific school listed as first choice?

49

About the 1/2 tuition and $4K ($1K/yr) at USC - the 1/2 tuition is from USC as college sponsor and the $4K is from NMSC? So you can get both and it’s guaranteed if admitted as a NMF?

50

The half tuition is from USC. The 4K is from USC as a “college sponsor.” If you are NM and you are accepted, USC will award you at least a half-tuition scholarship. If you did not receive a corporate NM scholarship or the $2500 NMSC scholarships that were announced today, then USC will give you an additional $4K to make you a NM Scholar.

Note: In the past it was $4K from USC but I do not know if they have raised or lowered that amount.

51

Thank you! And declining the $2500 would make the student eligible for the $4k assuming this is the correct amount?

52

No, declining the $2500 will NOT make the student eligible for the $4K. It will just make them lose the $2500.

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53

Oh! Thank you! I’m so confused … receiving the $2500 makes the student ineligible for the $4000? Is there a scenario where the student would decline the $2500?

54

Call NMSC to confirm. My understanding is that once you are named a Scholar (either through a corporation or through NMSC), you are not eligible for college sponsored Scholar award (ie. the $4K from USC).

55

Okay thank you!

56

I think you can decline the $2500 and get the $4000, but agree call NMSC. They are super helpful.

57

This is 100% correct. NMFs are offered max 1 scholar award. If declined, that’s it. It is confusing when discussing it in context of uni’s that offer major merit to NMFs, but those merit $ are indep of NM scholar awards.

58

I hope this incorrect. We did not ask for the scholar award of $2500 for one year. My son thought he had until May 1 to choose and the school he most likely will choose has a NMF of 2 K for 4 years. Why would he be penalized and lose the 8k if he declined the 2500 that he did not request? This is very confusing.

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59

From the top of page 4 here.

Consideration for a college-sponsored Merit Scholarship award is limited to Semifinalists who qualify as Finalists and who also:

  1. report to NMSC that a sponsor college is their first choice (see Sponsors of National Merit Scholarships in the 2022
    National Merit Scholarship Program);
  2. have applied for admission to the sponsor college; and
  3. have not been offered any other National Merit Scholarship (corporate-sponsored, National, or another college sponsored award). No student will receive more than one scholarship offer from NMSC.
    A college-sponsored Merit Scholarship award can be used only at the institution financing it and therefore is canceled if thewinner changes college choice.
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60

So if this is true, I am going to vomit. We were told he had until May 1st. This $2500 award is now a penalty and not a blessing. I have to pray that there is some mistake because we just lost out on $5500.

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