Students Guide to Merit Based Grants
Merit based grants are often confused with scholarships, although both are awarded based on academic factors they are not the same. You do not have to be an outstanding scholar or write compelling essays to qualify for merit based grants, although you will have to maintain a minimum GPA which is usually 3.0 or above.
What is a Merit Based Grant?
A merit based grant is similar to a need based grant because they both serve the same purpose: to provide students with free money to pay for their tuition.
Although need-based grants are provided to students who demonstrate financial restraints and fall within specified income requirements, merit-based grants have specific academic requirements in order to qualify. That said, they might also take into account students expected family contributions combined with academic merit. To make this clear, there are two types of merit grants that students can apply for:
- Combined Merit and Financial Need Grants – Most merit grants administered by state governments first consider the students income. If a student, or their family earn below a certain income level they will be considered for state grants providing their previous academic grades meet the requirements stipulated in application criteria.
- Merit Only – Are similar to scholarships although are less stringent on academic merit requirements. These grants don’t factor income levels or expected family contributions, just the students’ academic credentials. These usually derive from private organizations and companies.
Qualifying Factors for Merit Based Grants
Qualifying for merit based grants depends primarily on your grades, although your expected family contributions could be taken into consideration also. If you are transferring from a community college or technical school to a four-year university, your recently acquired GPA is used to determine your eligibility for merit based grants. However, students who have graduated from high school and are enrolling into a higher education institution will be assessed based on their grades and overall GPA. On average, a GPA of 3.0 and above is sufficient for most students to qualify for merit based grants.
Where to Find Merit Based Grants
Finding merit-based grants is relatively easily. The first place to begin your search is with your state department of education. Most state governments offer merit based grants to resident students to appendage federal student aid. Programs can provide students an amount of money from $200 to $5000 upwards per qualifying student and some state college grants are even renewable each academic year. Funding is often limited and available to college students on a first come first served basis.
Merit based grants will usually require the completion of a separate application in addition to your Student Application Report (SAR). Applications forms are obtainable by visiting your states official website. More information about the application procedures is available in our “How to Apply for Merit Based Grants” page, and to help students find state based grants we have provided links to official state websites in our grant resources section.