CampusPin Glossary
Merit aid
Scholarships awarded based on academic, athletic, artistic, or leadership achievement — not financial need.
Merit aid is institutional scholarship money awarded for achievement rather than need. Most public universities and many mid-tier private schools post automatic merit-aid grids based on GPA and test scores; competitive merit scholarships at top schools cover full tuition or full cost of attendance. Highly selective Ivy-tier schools generally do NOT offer merit aid — they offer only need-based aid.
Net-cost-conscious students often find that strong merit aid at a flagship public or competitive private school produces a lower out-of-pocket cost than need-based aid at a more selective school.
See also
Institutional aid
Grants and scholarships paid by the college itself, separate from federal Pell, state grants, or outside private scholarships.
Need-blind admissions
An admissions policy in which the applicant's ability to pay is not considered in the admit/deny decision.
Net price
What a family actually pays out-of-pocket after grants and scholarships are subtracted from the sticker price.
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