What is a merit scholorship?

Question

I am going to propose the idea of boarding school to my parents the school i am looking at is fairly cheap and with fiacial aid it will be very affordable. I also wanna get a merit scholorship but i am not exactly sure what it is please help.

Answer 1

A merit scholarship is a general term to describe a scholarship that is merit based as opposed to financial need based or a sports based scholarship etc.  There used to be an exam similiar to the SAT/ACT/PSAT etc that boarding schools used as an entrance exam.  Look in the financial aid section of the school you want to attend and see what the requirements are.  Also, if your financial aid package at this boarding school requires your parents to take out loans, you would be smart to drop the whole boarding school dream because you're going to need loans for college too.

Answer 2

"The National Merit® Scholarship Program is an academic competition for recognition and scholarships that began in 1955. High school students enter the National Merit Program by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®)–a test which serves as an initial screen of approximately 1.4 million entrants each year–and by meeting published program entry/participation requirements."

http://www.nationalmerit.org/nmsp.php

The site includes:

Student entry requirements

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Program recognition

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Commended Students

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Semifinalists

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Finalists

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Winner selection

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Types of Merit Scholarship® awards

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Special Scholarships

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Steps in the 2009 Merit Scholarship® Competition

Good Luck!