Merit-based financial aid has been a growth industry in the United States over the past decade. Much media attention has focused on the use of merit aid by colleges and universities to try to attract academically talented students. In this article, the author argues that merit aid programs are the wrong tools for helping develop a skilled…

This study examined the relationship between students' socioeconomic characteristics and qualification for a merit scholarship in a new, state-run program. The Michigan merit award scholarship program provides scholarships of up to $2,500 for students who score at Level 1 or 2 of the Michigan Educational Assessment Program High School Tests.…

Financial assistance for individuals attending college has existed in this country almost as long as higher education itself. Institutions awarded many of the earliest scholarships based on students' academic merit, with consideration often given to financial need. This practice was carried into the twentieth century, largely by private elite…

This study analyzed data from the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS) to examine the awarding of institutional need-based versus non-need-based grants to undergraduate students. The purpose of the study was to determine how the use of these different types of scholarships has changed from 1989 to 1995, the socioeconomic…