Maureen Said:

Looking for merit scholarships for college transfer student.?

We Answered:

Your daughter sounds like a strong applicant for private scholarships. She should check out online databases such as scholarshipexperts.com, schoolsoup.com and fastweb.com (these allow her to make a profile based on her unique interests, background and goals and help her find scholarships based on that).
She should also look in scholarship books, which she can find in the library or bookstores. Think broadly, too- sometimes people get scholarships from companies where their parents work, or from organizations they or someone in their family already have some sort of affiliation with. Check around in your community to see if anyone offers scholarships.

It's getting to the very end of the scholarship application period (for funding for the 07-08 academic year), so she should start her search asap. Most scholarship deadlines are in the winter and early spring. But if she finds listings now for programs she's missed the deadlines for, she can note them for next year and apply then.

Does the college have a scholarship office? Some schools offer guidance to students- it's worth checking. And once your other daughters start college, be sure to reapply for financial aid-- sometimes schools will take into account the fact that you're paying multiple tuitions.
Good luck!

Lydia Said:

If you've been accepted to a college, when do you find out about merit scholarships?

We Answered:

No, financial aid award information would not be included with an acceptance letter. You should check with the financial aid office to see if, in addition to the FAFSA (which for 0809 you cannot fill out until after January 1, 2008), you need to fill out an in-house application as well. Our school uses an in-house application as well as the FAFSA; as long as students have both forms completed by our deadline, then they will be considered for all aid for which they apply. Students are notified in the spring (March/April) of their awards.

Check with the financial aid office at the school to see what their policy is on merit based aid. Some schools may have truly merit based aid, while others have merit/financial based aid. Example: some schools may award you a $1500 scholarship based strictly on merit. At another school, that $1500 may go to another student: if both you and another student are equal in everything that is required for that scholarship, but that other student has more financial need than you, then that other student may be awarded that scholarship.

Each school has a percentage they use of trying to meet the COA (Cost of Education) with scholarships/grants/loans/work. The percentage will change year to year depending on the size of the applicant pool and the financial aid resources available for that year.

Talk to a financial aid officer at the school you will be attending for more information. Good luck!

Alexander Said:

What colleges give national merit scholarships?

We Answered:

All colleges accept them.

National Merit scholarships are determined from taking the PSAT as a sophomore (10th grader) in High School.

Nora Said:

Paying for college (merit scholarships/financial aid)?

We Answered:

I found some info about getting this scholarship online in this scholarship database - colleges.mywebcommunity.org

Elizabeth Said:

does getting a college sponsored merit scholarship make you a national merit scholar?

We Answered:

I found some info about getting this scholarship online in this scholarship database - universities.atwebpages.com

Phyllis Said:

does enrolling in college early hurt my chances of receiving any merit scholarships?

We Answered:

You can get info about such college scholarships and grants online here - schools.medianewsonline.com

Michelle Said:

Boarding High schools (College Prep) that offer merit scholarships?

We Answered:

Go to www.boardingschoolreview.com http://www.boardingschoolreview.com/sear… and then do an advanced search. Look for coed or boys academic boarding schools that offer merit scholarshps. You will find many on the link I posted.

In general, you should offer the school something that they cannot get from their regular applicant pool. Select the schools that interest you, and then learn more about the merit scholarship they offer. Sometimes the merit aid is for a specific talent; other times it is just general. For most, you will need to apply and probably write an essay.

Good luck!