Anonymous
Post 01/21/2024 19:11     Subject: Your merit aid success story
Got a bunch of merit offers from LACs ranked in the 40-100 range. Seemed like they came in three varieties:

- Those that competed with state flagship, essentially knocking 50% off cost of attendance (bringing annual costs down into low-mid-30s).

- Those that knocked roughly 1/3 off the cost of attendance -- awards of 25-29K (annual cost in the 45-50k range).

- Those that took the edge off, like 10-15k annual merit, but leaving pretty pretty high sticker prices.

Hesitant to post too many details, as I agree with PP that schools probably hate this. But scores were sub-1500 and grades were B+/A- range.
Anonymous
Post 01/21/2024 19:10     Subject: Re:Your merit aid success story
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:To get merit, you have to research what school gives merit (are buyers) and which do not (are sellers).

If you want merit, look for schools that are “buyers.”



Gee thanks


Yup you'll get more money where school wants you. Everyone wants Harvard so no matter how great you are, you won't get merit money. They only give need based aid. For Tufts or Tulane, to take you away from Harvard, they've to sweeten the deal. If you aren't at that level, they too won't offer any merit money.
Anonymous
Post 01/21/2024 19:09     Subject: Your merit aid success story

20K merit a year guaranteed for 5 years from George Washington U. Sticker price is 85K a year. We pay 65K a year.

4.67 wgpa and 35 ACT.
Anonymous
Post 01/21/2024 19:06     Subject: Your merit aid success story
Anonymous wrote:In my observation there seems to be two things going on with small SLAC that aren't sitting on low acceptance %, big endowments, and top rankings.

Some schools are cutting tuition from 20-30k a semester to 20-30k a year.

Other schools are offering a steep sticker discount. In a lot of cases it brings the cost down (before FA) to amount to the same thing:

30k tuition
15k room and board.

I don't think this is a coincidence. I think it might be what the market will bear, what a donut hole family can probably manage to pay. In our case I'm not quite sure how, but that's our problem. I think it's probably a realistic cost of what college 'should' cost.


Colleges definitely seem aware of what peers will offer. DD last year got merit at LACs ranked in the 70s-80s that all got to a total cost of around $30-$35k. A couple in the 40s range both came in around $40-$50k.
Anonymous
Post 01/21/2024 19:04     Subject: Your merit aid success story
Anonymous wrote:Does anyone have any great merit stories? Preferably not super star students, just good students who got merit at non-top schools.


A friend's B+/A- IB kid just got a significant merit scholarship from a religious school. They aren't even Christian but school has a solid pre med program and is making undergrad very affordable.
Anonymous
Post 01/21/2024 19:01     Subject: Your merit aid success story
Here's a list of merit aid scholarships: https://blog.prepscholar.com/colleges-with-full-ride-scholarships
Anonymous
Post 01/21/2024 18:55     Subject: Re:Your merit aid success story
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My DS got merit at all or most of his schools - the trick is to apply to schools a bit below what you could just barely get admitted to - safeties for you will give you money.


+1. Apply to a lot of safeties and watch the merit offers roll in.


+1

Also be sure to check the conditions of the merit aid - most require that the student maintain a certain GPA to remain eligible.
Anonymous
Post 01/21/2024 18:48     Subject: Your merit aid success story
Way back when my kid got essentially half tuition merit from Grinnell. Once she got that she picked it over Carleton and William & Mary. We weren’t willing to go any lower than that in the rankings, merit or no merit aid. Didn’t make sense for a high achiever like her.
Anonymous
Post 01/21/2024 18:45     Subject: Your merit aid success story
Anonymous wrote:Doesn’t seem helpful unless people also provide their out of pocket number


For those who are too dumb and lazy to look up the sticker price 🙄
Anonymous
Post 01/21/2024 18:45     Subject: Your merit aid success story
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:DS was offered full tuition at several small slacs you've never heard of (and not in his major) so he declined all.


Why did he even spend time and money applying to them?


Can you say which?



Oof! They really were out of the blue. I think something like Virginia Wesleyan and something Trinity. Both small southern slacs that did not have engineering, which is what DS wanted. I actually took the phone call from the schools (this was a while ago) so could tell exactly what they were after. After figuring out I was the dad, they said they wanted to offer X the "Blank blank blank scholarship" of full tuition due to his 34 ACT. I said "Well, it's now a 36 because he retook it". I then heard a rustling of papers and the AO said "OK, then we can offer him the full President's scholarship at X dollars plus stipend". All of this information can be bought by the colleges via the testing services (big money maker). Your child can opt out of that when taking the exam if they wish. That will stop calls and emails
Anonymous
Post 01/21/2024 18:39     Subject: Your merit aid success story
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:DS was offered full tuition at several small slacs you've never heard of (and not in his major) so he declined all.


Why did he even spend time and money applying to them?



He didn't. They were unsolicited. Schools buy the lists and want certain students. My kid was eagle scout, no 1 in class, 36 ACT, etc.
Anonymous
Post 01/21/2024 18:37     Subject: Re:Your merit aid success story
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:To get merit, you have to research what school gives merit (are buyers) and which do not (are sellers).

If you want merit, look for schools that are “buyers.”



Gee thanks


And buy stocks low and sell high. This is free. The next advice will cost you.
Anonymous
Post 01/21/2024 18:35     Subject: Your merit aid success story
Anonymous wrote:Doesn’t seem helpful unless people also provide their out of pocket number


The thing is, that changes with each year depending on what they do with tuition. So you can know that $42,000/year in merit aid will = $34,000 cost of attendance freshman year, but since tuitions tend to go up, you can't know what the cost will be in future years -- only that you'll get 42k/year merit off of that cost.
Anonymous
Post 01/21/2024 18:26     Subject: Re:Your merit aid success story
Anonymous wrote:To get merit, you have to research what school gives merit (are buyers) and which do not (are sellers).

If you want merit, look for schools that are “buyers.”



Gee thanks
Anonymous
Post 01/21/2024 18:25     Subject: Re:Your merit aid success story
Anonymous wrote:Kid received enough at Kalamazoo College to bring price down to $25,000, full tuition at Juniata College to bring price to $13,000, and $15-$20,000 at UVM for a final COA of $45,000, and others.

Attending UMD for $30,000.


Wow! Great offers