Colleges That Are Generous With Merit Aid
When it comes to college admissions, merit aid can be a confusing topic. Many students assume that the only way they’ll get free money is if they’re in the top 1% of their class or are some kind of athletic prodigy. But there’s actually a lot more merit aid out there than you might think—especially for students who want to go to schools with smaller endowments and don’t have as much money available for need-based financial aid. In fact, many schools use merit scholarships to bring in students from less affluent communities who may not be able to afford college without some help from their alma mater (and perhaps a loan).
University of Florida
The University of Florida is a public research university that has been recognized as the #1 public university in Florida and #42 in the nation. Students at UF have access to some of the best academics, programs and facilities in the country. The school’s student-to-faculty ratio is 18:1 with more than 47,000 students enrolled for Fall 2018. UF also boasts a high number of internationally ranked programs including business administration, engineering and law schools that attract applicants from overseas. In addition to high quality education opportunities at UF, students also benefit from an abundance of merit aid opportunities available through scholarships like Bright Futures Scholarships or departmental aid packages which are offered by individual schools within the university system such as College Of Engineering And Computer Science (CECS).
Florida State University
Florida State University is a public university located in Tallahassee, Florida. It was founded in 1851 and is part of the State University System of Florida.
It offers more than 250 majors across twelve colleges, including architecture, arts and humanities; business administration; education; engineering; law; medicine and health sciences; music (the only undergraduate degree offered by a major U.S. music school); natural resources and environment; physical education & recreation; social sciences and psychology.
FSU is also home to The Florida State Philharmonic Orchestra—one of only two state-supported orchestras in America—and hosts several performing arts series throughout the year including Theatre Under The Stars (TUTS), Dance Concert Series at FSU (DCS), Dance at FSU’s annual fall celebration featuring professional dance companies from around the world performing on campus every Friday night during fall semester break except Thanksgiving weekend (DANZ).
University of Georgia
- The University of Georgia has a need-based aid program and a merit-based aid program. Both are open to all students who apply, but the university awards additional consideration to those who have achieved high academic performance in school and/or extracurricular activities.
- The “Scholarship of Excellence” program is for incoming freshmen who have achieved a 3.75 GPA or higher during their senior year of high school, along with the following: SAT score of 1400 or higher on both sections (or ACT equivalent), 20 ACT composite score or better, class rank in top 10%, member of National Honor Society or above average cumulative GAP score (outstanding leadership). This program awards $10,000 per year for four years ($40,000 total) if admitted and accepted by UGA as full-time students.
- The “Scholarship of Distinction” award is for full-time transfer students with at least 30 transferable hours from an accredited college/university who will be enrolling as first time freshmen at UGA within one calendar year after graduation from their current institution. Awarded based on GPA earned while attending previous institutions within last three years prior to admission date into this competitive scholarship category where required prerequisites exist such as no more than 12 credit hours taken outside Georgia public colleges/universities while enrolled there; completed entire core curriculum by end date when financial aid was applied (12 th grade); major declared before midpoint term at current institution; minimum 3.25 GPA overall including all science classes taken; no excessive absences (>40% overall attendance rate) during fall term preceding spring term attendance at UGA in order receive this award which pays up 48 credit hours per academic year contingent upon satisfactory progress toward degree completion with no more than five semesters required
Auburn University
Auburn University has a strong engineering, business and nursing programs. The university also participates in the National Merit Scholarship competition and offers merit scholarships to students who rank in the top 1% of their high school class. In addition, Auburn University offers need-based grants that cover up to 50% of tuition costs for eligible families with incomes under $60,000 per year.
Even if you’re not interested in studying at Auburn University, there are many other schools across the country that offer generous merit aid packages like those described above. To find out more about these programs, check out our [sister site](https://collegeswithmerithuntingtipsforstudentsandparents/) or request more information below!
Emory University
Emory University is a private research university in metropolitan Atlanta, located in the Druid Hills neighborhood in unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, United States.
Emory College is one of the 15 original schools that make up Emory University. Established on July 5, 1836 by the Methodist Episcopal Church and named for Methodist bishop John Emory, it was originally located north of downtown Atlanta on 40 acres (16 ha) of land purchased by Bishop Francis Asbury, who later became known as “the Father of American Methodism.” The campus is bounded by 10th Street on the south and North Decatur Road on the west; its northern boundary has changed over time. Over time Emory College expanded into neighboring Oxford College (now Emory University’s second-largest division), Candler School of Theology (named after its founder Howard Candler), Goizueta Business School (named after Robert Woodruff’s late wife), Rollins School of Public Health and Michael R. Carlos Museum. In 1960s while still under racially restrictive covenants against selling homes or renting apartments to African Americans because they would cause property values to fall – both historically white colleges wanted students who could pay full tuition so they began setting aside spots “for Negroes” – implicitly desegregating according to their own definition rather than federal mandate
Kennesaw State University
There are many colleges with generous merit aid, but few schools have the resources to match Kennesaw State University in terms of scholarships.
In addition to its robust financial aid program, KSU also has some of the most competitive admission standards in the country. You’ll need a high school GPA of at least 3.5 and SAT scores of at least 1120 (520 Critical Reading + 560 Math) or a composite ACT score of 22+ plus an unweighted GPA of 3.5+ to qualify for most merit-based scholarships from KSU.
Georgia Institute of Technology
Georgia Tech is known for its top engineering program and its top research university status. It’s also recognized as a very generous school with merit aid, making it one of the most competitive schools in the country.
Georgia Tech has the seventh-highest enrollment of international students among public universities in the United States, with almost 15% of its student body coming from outside of the country.
Mercer University
Mercer University is a private research university in Macon, Georgia. The university has been ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of the South’s top universities for its undergraduate program and graduate work in education.
Mercer is also an active member of several organizations including:
- The Georgia Research Alliance (GRA), which aims to promote scientific, technological and economic development throughout the state of Georgia;
- The Association of American Universities (AAU), which aims to support research universities through interdisciplinary collaboration;
- Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), which accredits higher education institutions throughout the Southeast region
Rice University
Rice University is a private research university located in Houston, Texas, United States. The university is generally considered the most selective and most difficult to get into of all the private research universities in the state of Texas. Rice has produced more millionaires than any other school per student (with over $2 billion in assets), as well as more Nobel laureates and Rhodes scholars than any other American university. In addition to being one of the most selective universities in America, Rice is also one of its wealthiest, with an endowment worth nearly $5 billion dollars as of 2011.[1]
The college’s generous financial aid policies make it possible for many students who would otherwise be unable to afford tuition at Rice to attend college there. For example:
- Students who receive financial aid (including merit scholarships) will likely pay less than half their annual tuition out-of-pocket during their first year after graduation from high school;
- Students whose families earn between $60-$120K annually may qualify for full need-based grants that cover 100% of tuition costs;
Texas Christian University
If you’re not in the top 10% of your class, TCU may still offer merit aid to you. It has a special program called TCU Connect that offers those who fall below the top 5% a chance to receive merit aid.
In addition to this, it also offers its own set of scholarships. These are known as Founders and Legacy Scholarships, which are awarded based on family or community connections with TCU.
Colleges are increasingly turning to merit aid to lure students.
Merit aid is a type of financial aid that’s distributed based on a student’s academic performance. While it sounds like the exact opposite of need-based aid, merit scholarships can actually be just as helpful for low-income families because they don’t have to be repaid if you don’t graduate from college.
In recent years, more and more colleges have started to offer merit scholarships in an effort to attract high-achieving students who might not otherwise consider applying or attending their schools. You’ll find these types of awards at some of the nation’s top universities, including Harvard University (which offers what they call “Z-list” scholarships) and Stanford University (which has a prestigious Gates Millennium Scholarship program). These merit-based awards can help pay for everything from tuition costs to housing expenses—and sometimes even living expenses! If this sounds appealing and you want something similar, read on.
As you can see, there are many colleges that are generous with their merit aid. But don’t just take our word for it. Do your own research into the schools on this list and find out which ones work best for you!