Merit scholarships are a type of gift aid that help pay for college by rewarding talent. Most merit based scholarships go to students who stand out with strong academics.
Recipients of a merit scholarship may be high academic achievers or have strong athletic, artistic or other skills and values. Eligible students must also show a desire to serve the community or leadership skills.
Some merit scholarships also may look at financial need. But most of the time accomplishments and academic excellence are the primary factors to win a merit scholarship.
How Do You Get a Merit Scholarship?
Merit awards are different from needs based scholarships. A need-based scholarship uses family income to make decisions. Instead, the merit scholarship sponsors usually start out with a goal or reason why they offer it. This might be to develop their industry with smart minds or invest in the future of their community and college.
There are various criteria to qualify for a merit scholarship. Sometimes you need to be a member of a specific association or enrolled in the university. Other scholarship providers may specifically offer it to minority students, female students or for certain majors like STEM.
Either way, you’ll need to see if you qualify. One example is the Women Techmakers Scholarship. It is an academic merit scholarship. In order to be eligible, eligible students must show strong academic performance, leadership, and impact on the community of women in tech. You may fit the bill as an upstanding male student, but this one is for girls.
What is Merit?
That stated, what ‘merit’ means generally depends on the organization granting the scholarship. Some merit scholarships look at academic performance, test scores, and your recommendations. Others may only look at your SAT/ACT test scores.
Still others focus on your dedication to and performance in a specific field of study. This can be anything from music to math and others.
Many private companies, groups and nonprofits fund merit scholarships. There are no federal funds for merit-based scholarships.
Some merit scholarship providers are from local communities such as churches and cultural groups. Companies such as Google, Gates Foundation or Coca Cola also offer merit scholarships.
Most colleges also award merit scholarships. Often alumni endow funds to use for these awards. Merit based awards may thus carry the name of a person so that their legacy continues. You’ll also find charitable foundations offering merit aid which sometimes look at financial need.
What GPA do You Need to Get a Merit Scholarship?
An academic merit scholarship often requires a strong GPA. But the actual grade point average you need to get a merit scholarship varies.
For instance, you need a cumulative GPA of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale to qualify for the SHRM Foundation’s Graduate Scholarships. This awards $5,000 to a graduate student pursuing an HR degree related program.
The Voice of Democracy Scholarship awards $30,000 to one national first place winner. Most high school students as well as military students may apply.
How Much is a Merit Scholarship?
The U.S. Department of Education tracks the aid schools award to undergraduates. According to the NCES study, they looked at the amount of money high-merit students received. It found that those in selective schools got about 58% of their tuition. Those in less selective schools received about 46% of their tuition amounts.
What Qualifies You to be a National Merit Scholar?
National Merit Scholars have the highest PSAT/NMSQT® Selection Index scores. About 1.6 million enter to compete. But about 50,000 qualify for recognition in the National Merit® Scholarship Program.
Each September, the sponsor colleges notify the recipients. They let them know if they have qualified as either a Commended Student or Semifinalist. Then about 15,000 semifinalists move to finalist standing.
About 7,600 winners of Merit Scholarship® awards (Merit Scholar® designees) may be notified. Part of the decision making process looks at students’ abilities, skills, and accomplishments.
How Do You Get the Most Money for Merit Scholarships?
Many scholarship providers factor in both need and merit. There are at least six things that may help you get the most merit aid for college.
Don’t forget to fill out the FAFSA. Depending on your circumstances, you may be eligible for federal aid too. This might be useful if the amount of your merit scholarship is not enough to pay tuition, fees, housing etc.
Apply to schools where your grades put you ahead. Many college admissions look at the entire pool of applicants. You may be ahead of the student body in some colleges and not in others.
Check whether the merit scholarship is renewable. If so, abiding by the terms may help pay your entire four years at college.
Make sure you understand the net cost of attending each school you apply to. Then assess the amount of merit aid you can get and see what makes the most sense to you.
Figure out where your talents lie and use them when you search for scholarships. It doesn’t have to be high marks. The Doodle for Google Scholarship rewards creativity.
When applying to a college or university, look at their financial aid section and scan for merit scholarships to see if you qualify.
Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) are rapidly changing the world. From new medical breakthroughs to innovative technologies, STEM is at the forefront of human progress.
At Wiingy, we aim to inspire, empower, and provide opportunities for young innovative minds in STEM.
This scholarship is designed for students with a passion for STEM. It is available to all students, regardless of whether they are considering majoring in STEM or are already on the path to a career in STEM.
It’s open to students studying a range of STEM subjects, including but not limited to chemistry, physics, mathematics, biology, computer science, environmental science, engineering, statistics, aerospace, artificial intelligence, and many more.
The Brian C. Jensen Edu Fund Scholarship offers a $1,000 award to support ambitious undergraduate and graduate students in the United States, aiming to alleviate the financial challenges of higher education. Founded by Brian C. Jensen, a leader in management consulting, this scholarship embodies his commitment to empowering students through educational opportunities. Open to students of all majors, the Edu Fund seeks to recognize and assist those with a passion for academic excellence and community service.
Being accepted into college is a huge achievement and is the culmination of a student’s hard work and their desire to elevate their learning. This milestone should be celebrated, but the harsh realities of pursuing education can quickly dampen the mood. Finding ways to pay for college and adjusting to a new routine can be challenging and requires ongoing support. Unfortunately, not all students have access to this support system, as they are the first in their family to go to college. This brings unique challenges for these students that others may not experience.
The Dreams to Degrees Scholarship was created to assist students in breaking new ground by being the first in their families to pursue a college education. It recognizes the unique challenges and accomplishments of first-generation students. This scholarship is open to first-generation college students who are accepted or enrolled full-time at an accredited college or university in the United States. Applicants must have a minimum GPA of 3.0. The scholarship award is $1,500.
We want to hear from you through a personal statement or essay describing your journey as a first-generation college attendee and highlight the challenges you have overcome and your aspirations for the future. A scholarship committee will review all applications and select recipients based on their eligibility, academic achievements, and personal statements. Please provide two letters of recommendation and transcripts to confirm eligibility. Applications must be complete by May 1, 2024, to be considered.
Are you an undergraduate or graduate student pursuing a career in accounting?
Funded by SOS Inventory, LLC., the Soar to Success Accounting Scholarship is an annual scholarship awarded to qualified students who demonstrate good grades, leadership, and a commitment to excellence.
At Alford & Clark Injury Attorneys, we fiercely advocate for victims of personal injuries across the state of Texas from our headquarters in San Antonio. While contending with giant insurance companies and corporations, we strive to provide compassionate and intelligent service to each of our clients. In short, we treat each case like it is our only case.
Our team spends nights and weekends working to obtain just outcomes for our clients, and we have a deep appreciation for dedication, determination, and hard work. Through our Alford & Clark Injury Attorneys Students in Need Scholarship, we aim to promote those ideals by supporting students who have overcome obstacles and demonstrated a need for financial assistance.
Therefore, we award scholarships of $2,000 in the Fall and Spring semesters to qualified students interested in a career in law who can demonstrate the need for financial assistance.
Brandon Wong & Associates is a San Antonio-based family law firm founded on the principles of hard work and quality of representation. As a firm that practices exclusively in the area of family law, we have accumulated the depth of experience necessary to handle everything from a straightforward, uncontested divorce to high-conflict cases involving multiple contested issues, as well as high-asset matters where complex property division issues need to be addressed. With our experience representing clients from all walks of life, we can address unique concerns related to issues such as military divorce, spousal support, or business valuations.
At Kanoski Bresney, we have over 40 years of experience representing injury victims throughout central Illinois, and we have obtained more than $400 million for our clients in personal injury and workers’ compensation cases.
Write a 1,000-word essay about your experiences with distracted driving and your ideas for prevention and awareness among young drivers. Submit the essay along with an academic transcript, contact information, and a professional headshot using the form on our scholarship page.
The Vipin Agrawal Memorial Scholarship Fund provides scholarships to students from low-income and immigrant backgrounds. In order to create diversity in the industry and spark new innovations, it is important to platform diverse undergraduate students.
The Bayar Fellowship, established in 2020, is dedicated to finding, developing, and supporting the next generation of leaders.
We aim to empower high school students from marginalized communities and low income backgrounds by providing them with the fundamental tools necessary to become leaders in their communities.
The Behan Law Group, P.L.L.C. provides strong DUI and criminal defense representation. Our firm brings together knowledgeable, skilled, and experienced attorneys and other legal professionals to successfully serve our clients.
Student must submit an essay of 500 to 1000 words on the following prompt: How has your experience as a Veteran or the child of a Veteran influenced your academic and career goals? How do you plan to use your education to make a positive impact in your community?” With the essay, student will also need to submit their most recent academic transcript, proof of military service for themselves or parent, a professional headshot, and contact information (name, address, phone number, email address).
