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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