Who Gets Merit Based Scholarships At Private Colleges?

Are you wondering which students and families actually get merit-based scholarships and grants at private universities? There is data.

Parents of children working at universities considering high-cost private, nonprofit organizations often wonder how to qualify for institutional financial aid. These grants and scholarships may or may not be based on merits, but may serve as discounts on attendance costs.

Students who want to increase their chances of receiving institutional merit grants at a private nonprofit four-year university would need to apply to moderately selective universities (especially high-cost universities), have stellar results and test scores, choose wealthy parents, earn a gap year, and not be required to register with the university.

We look at all the statistics students have received institutional merit grants. Families may also want to consider ways to hack FAFSA to maximize financial aid.

Average facility grants

Based on data from 2015-16 Post-national student assistance research (NPSAS), 80% of students at private, nonprofit four-year universities receive the grant, an average of $15,820 per person. However, this includes grants from non-university sources, such as federal grants.

Over half of students (57%) receive facility grants, which averages $16,027. This includes agency merit-only grants (36%, $12,060), agency needs-based grants (31%, $12,354), and agency non-need grants (13.3%, $6,289). Combining the institutional merit-only and non-need grant categories, 44% receive institutional non-need and merit-only grants, averageing $12,008.

Systemic non-need grants include institutional grants that are not based on needs or merit, such as tuition and fee exemptions for faculty and staff.

Institutional merit-only grants are theoretically based on some type of merit, such as academic or athletic talent, but may also include other criteria, such as the student’s status as a full-pay student.

Thus, a third (36%) of students at private, nonprofit, four-year universities have earned grants for institutional merits, which averages $12,060 per recipient. The median is $11,000. A quarter of students who receive an institutional merit grant wins over $16,000, while 10% wins over $21,600.

Which universities will award merit grants for the institution?

Most selective universities such as Harvard, Princeton, and MIT Do not award agency merit grants. All their financial aid is awarded based on their financial needs and is not a merit.

However, the next tier will award grants for several institutional merits. They use grants as a recruitment tool to attract wealthy and talented students.

Of students receiving institutional achievement grants at private, nonprofit, four-year universities, 22% are registered at highly selective universities, 69% are moderately selective universities, 6% are registered at least selective universities, and 3% are open admission universities.

The probability of receiving institutional merit assistance at a private nonprofit fourth year university is 30% for highly selective universities, 52% for moderately selective universities, 19% for minimum selective universities, and 9% for open admission universities. These numbers are the overall average. The probability of receiving a merit grant varies depending on the university within each category.

The average merit grant also varies depending on the type of university, ranging from $13,853 for a highly selective university to $7,730 for an open admission university, which is likely to correlate with attendance costs.

Private nonprofit four-year universities offering online classes are less likely to offer institutional merit grants (45% vs. 21%). This is especially true for universities (44% vs. 4%) that offer the entire program online.

Grants based on academic merits

This table shows more 3.5-4.0 Half of high school students Grade Point Average (GPA) Receive agency merit grants. However, it also indicates that even students under the 2.0 GPA can receive institutional merit grants.

Of the students who received facility grants, over half (58%) had 3.5-4.0 GPA, one-quarter (27%) had 3.0-3.4 GPa, 9% had 2.5-2.9 GPA, 5% had 2.0-2.4 GPA, and 1% had 2.0-2.0 GPA.

This table shows similar statistics, but is limited to moderately selective private nonprofit organizations, four-year universities. The average merit grants are similar, but the proportion of institutional merit grants is high.

This table shows it SAT test scores do not correlate well with the likelihood of receiving institutional merit grants at private, nonprofit, four-year universities.. Perhaps the average grant increases with a higher test score, as students are enrolled in more expensive universities.

Of students receiving institution merit grants, one-third (33%) have sub-average SAT test scores, with 40% SAT test scores 1000-1199, 22% SAT test scores 1200-1399, and 5% SAT test scores 1400-1600.

The lower proportion of students with SAT test scores between 1400 and 1600 receiving the systemic merit grant may be because these students are more likely to enroll in more selective universities.

This table shows that students with moderately selective colleges limiting data and improving university entrance test scores are more likely to receive institutional merit grants.

Therefore, students with excellent SAT test scores are more likely to receive institutional merit grants unless they register with a highly selective university.

These tables show that students taking AP or university-level classes during high school are slightly more likely to receive a grant of institutional merit.

This table shows that students taking more advanced mathematics classes in high school are more likely to receive institutional merit grants. They also receive larger grants.

This table shows that students with a higher education of parents are more likely to receive systemic merit grants and larger grants.

Income-based grants

Students from Wealthy families are likely to receive institutional achievement grants at private, nonprofit, four-year universitiesas shown in this table.

Of recipients of the Institutional Merit Grant, one-third (32%) have low income, one-quarter (27%) have middle income, and 41% have high income.

Subsidies based on attendance costs

This table shows how the proportion of institutional merit grants received and average grants increase as attendance costs increase. Wealthy universities have more money to provide institutional grants. However, parents still pay more at high-cost universities that offer institutional merit grants of more than $10,000 in high-cost public universities.

The most expensive universities will reduce the percentage of institutional merit grants. This may include some of the most selective universities that do not award institutional merit grants, reducing that percentage.

This table shows the same data restricted to moderately selective universities. The proportion of institutional merit grants still declines at the most expensive universities, but not much.

Gender and race-based grants

Men and women are similarly likely to receive grants exclusively for institutional merits, with average awards being roughly the same.

This table shows it White students are more likely to receive grants that are exclusively for institutional merits than minority students.. They also receive larger grants.

Grants based on registration status

This table shows that full-time enrollment students are much more likely to receive institutional merit grants than part-time enrollment students.

Students who have a gap year are much less likely to receive the institutional merit grant and are less likely to receive the institutional merit grant.

Grants based on dependency status

This table shows that dependent students are more likely to receive grants exclusively for institutional merits than independent students. They also receive larger grants.

In moderately selective universities, 66.8% of dependent students and 18.9% of independent students receive grants exclusively for institutional merit.

This table shows similar results when the data is based on student age. Students over the age of 24 are automatically independent.

This table shows it Veterans are less likely to receive agency merit grants. Veterans are automatically independent. Additionally, you are less likely to enroll in a bachelor’s degree program.

The following two tables show that married students are less likely to receive systemic merit grants. Married students and students with dependents are automatically independent.

This table shows that homeless students are less likely to receive institutional merit grants. Homeless students are automatically independent.

Grants based on economic needs

This table shows that students submitting FAFSAs are more likely to receive institutional merit grants.

This table shows that students whose financial aid exceeds their financial needs are more likely to have received the institutional merit grant.