Thank you for taking the time to share all of these resources. Of the above list, we've only explored Univ. of Virginia's Jefferson Scholarship (which is also highly competitive).Congratulations on the potential NMF. Like others have said, there are lots of sources of auto merit aid for NMF finalists. It changes every year. For instance, a while ago Oklahoma had the best packages for NMF, but then a new president was installed and he de-emphasized NMF recruiting. Other than the auto admit programs, here are best merit award packages we found.
University of South Carolina - https://sc.edu/about/offices_and_divisi ... /index.php
They have three merit awards that go well beyond free tuition, but they are competitive.
Washington and Lee Johnson Scholarship - https://www.wlu.edu/admissions/the-johnson-scholarship/
Scholarships are awarded to up to 44 incoming students each year (roughly 10% of the first-year class. Johnson Scholarships cover tuition and fees, housing, and food for four years, plus an additional $10,000 in funding to support summer experiences — a grand total of more than $83,000 per year.
Davidson University Belk Scholarship - https://www.davidson.edu/admission-and- ... cholarship
The Belk Scholarship will provide you comprehensive funding (tuition, fees, housing, and food) plus special opportunity stipends that allow you great flexibility in the on- and off-campus opportunities you choose to explore. Thanks to the generosity of the John M. Belk Educational Endowment, 32 Belk Scholars are currently enrolled at Davidson (eight Belk Scholars named in each entering class).
University of Virginia Jefferson Scholarship - https://www.jeffersonscholars.org/scholarships
Our two scholarship programs—the Jefferson Scholars Program and the Walentas Scholars Program—cultivate outstanding undergraduate students, providing them with financial support to pursue their passions, develop their talents, and encourage their community involvement. The award for the Jefferson Scholarship and the Walentas Scholarship is intended to cover the entire cost of attendance for four years at the University of Virginia, plus coverage of supplemental enrichment experiences.
As for how big of a trade off is there to choose between a lower ranked school vs. a free full ride, it depends on:
The kid.
What they want to study
Where do they want to live when they graduate
What schools they are comparing
How likely is graduate or professional school
How much money the parents have
How willing are the parents to spend money on college tuition
How many additional kids that may need college funding
And most importantly, what is the best fit for the child.
Statistics: Posted by cashheavy18 — Fri Feb 02, 2024 10:56 am — Replies 29 — Views 2032