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…

The arguments against merit scholarships are presented, and it is urged, instead that achievement be rewarded at the time and place of its occurrence, i.e., locally. (MSE)

Analyzes demographic and financial trends affecting future student financial aid needs and considers some possible solutions, including expanding definitions of merit awards to include nondirect inducements for top high school students, prepaid tuition plans sponsored by the federal government, and using information technology to store and…

A survey of student services staff, merit scholarship recipients, and a sampling of administrators, faculty, and students at a large land-grant institution concerning no-need scholarships shows the aid is seen as useful and monies used for it should not reduce amounts available for need-based scholarships. (MSE)

Reflections on the profession of admissions officer include the need for sharing of information within the profession, the admissions officer as enrollment manager, the role of intercollegiate athletics, and merit scholarships. (MSE)

Ten years ago, the state best known for its peaches launched a revolution that still reverberates in the halls of colleges and universities across the country. Faced with a plethora of poorly performing high-school students and a growing number of graduates fleeing the state for postsecondary study, Georgia unveiled its Helping Outstanding Pupils…

The award of no-need or merit scholarships and the effect on college choice are discussed. No-need scholarships are increasingly being used to draw students to the teaching profession, provide financial aid, and to recruit students who are academically and athletically talented. When these awards attract bright students to campuses, they can help…

This article proposes that governing boards must carefully consider the implications of the admission and financial aid policy of awarding merit scholarships, without regard for student financial need. Such tuition discounting is seen as particularly problematic for private colleges, misleading to students, and potentially disastrous for…

J. Michael Thompson is the Vice Provost for Enrollment Management and Dean of Admission and Financial Aid at the University of Southern California. J. Michael has worked in higher education for more than 30 years in a variety of roles at small private and mid-sized and large public universities, and now at USC, a large private university. He has…

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 report presents the results of a review of all state student financial aid programs in Florida and presents recommendations concerning program consolidation. The review was designed to address a variety of aid-related issues, including unexpended financial aid resources, program consolidation, budget request and aid distribution procedures,…

Examines a number of trends in higher education that threaten to undermine the status, role, and even existence of liberal arts colleges. Looks at competitive marketing, merit-based student financial aid, private support for state schools, and the heavy influence of price on student choice. Keeping these factors in mind can allow universities to…