50-50 Highlights: 54 Public Colleges for Merit Aid

(The following has been updated for 2019.) Merit scholarships from colleges aren’t simply a way for schools to reward students for accomplishments, it’s part of the supply and demand of paying for college. Colleges use merit aid as a way to increase the supply of “accomplished” students at their schools. This is why the most competitive colleges … Read more

36 Best Bets for Test Optional Merit Aid

Think because you’re a miserable test taker, you don’t have a chance at merit aid? Maybe not. If you’re willing to step away from the limelight of prestige and top 50 college rankings, you can find some excellent opportunities among the growing number of test optional colleges. With just a little digging into the data, … Read more

50-50 Highlights: Accessible, Quality Colleges for Merit Aid Opportunities

Woman with money looking for college merit aid

As I work with college data, I learn about different variables and add them to my data sets. I also occasionally create a variable to more accurately capture a concept or value that I think is important when trying to figure out how much college will cost. This is why you’ll see multiple posts on … Read more

FAQ: What is merit aid?

Student in front of college asking What is merit aid?

Merit aid refers to college awarded financial aid that is not based on financial need. The most commonly recognized form of merit aid is the scholarship. Scholarships may be awarded for academic skills or achievements based on talents such as athletic, artistic, or leadership. Other types of merit aid include tuition waivers or institutional grants … Read more

You Can’t Get Merit Scholarships From a College You Never Apply To

hand blocking bag of money representing not applying to colleges offering merit scholarships

In a previous post, I defined Expected Family Contribution (EFC), how it works theoretically, and what happens in the real world. For many families, the difference between theory and practice is irrelevant since their EFC (with changes to financial aid, soon to become the Student Aid Index) is much higher than their actual ability to pay. There … Read more

50-50 Highlights: 105 Overlooked Colleges for National Merit Scholarships

student with money from colleges with national merit scholarships

(Updated 2023) The National Merit Scholarship® Program seems like a great opportunity for test savvy high school students and their families to make a substantial dent in college costs. Well, it really all depends. Much to the surprise of many families, being a National Merit® Finalist doesn’t mean a full-ride scholarship to the college of your choice.

5 Financial Aid Strategies Parents of Sophomores Need to Know Before the Spring Semester

Couple considering financial aid strategies

Parents of sophomores need to know that their students’ college financial aid awards will be calculated on the base year that starts January 1 of the student’s sophomore year. This means that the fall semester of the student’s sophomore year will be the last chance parents have to implement some financial aid strategies that could … Read more

76 Best Bets for College Merit Scholarships

hands exchanging money representing best bets for college merit scholarships

The best bets for college merit scholarships aren’t necessarily schools you have heard of. But if you’re serious about looking for an affordable education at a good college, does it matter? Don’t think you’ll qualify for any significant need-based financial aid? Then it’s time to begin looking beyond the rankings and paying attention to the … Read more