The effect of Rutgers University's merit-based scholarship program on attracting talented students, students' experiences at the university, and the provision of high quality education was studied. The university merit awards fell into four categories: Rutgers Presidential Scholar Award, five National Merit and five National Achievement…

This study provides insight into selected factors which affect choice of teaching as a career as well as choice of a college. Sixty-one percent of the 142 high school students in the sample who marked teaching as their planned career indicated that scholarships were "very important" to career choice. Thirty-two percent indicated that it was…

A study examined the probability that students would apply to or attend Southwest Missouri State University without a freshman no-need scholarship, prospective students' awareness of these and other scholarships, the relative importance students attach to the scholarship, and the recruiting potential of the scholarship in various amounts. (MSE)

This is a collection of papers from a 2001 symposium at Harvard University entitled "State Merit Aid Programs: College Access and Equity." After a Foreword by Gary Orfield, the seven papers are (1) "State Merit Scholarship Programs: An Introduction" (Donald E. Heller); (2) "Merit Scholarships and College Access: Evidence…

Georgia's merit-based HOPE scholarships, which cover tuition and fees for over half the undergraduates at the University of Georgia, are credited for bringing better students to the university but also for bringing pressure for grade inflation to the institution. Recipients must maintain a B grade average. The university has become competitive…

The "Higher Education Reconciliation Act of 2005" created two new grant programs for undergraduates: the Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG) program and National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent (National SMART) Grant program. The ACG program is intended to encourage students to take challenging courses in high school and thus…

Recent research indicates a trend toward increases in the share of all institution-based student aid funds going to merit aid and in merit scholarship competition among institutions. This paper presents findings of a study that surveyed 379 nonprofit bachelors'-degree-granting institutions in 1983-84 and 1991-92. Findings indicate that the less…

Since the early nineties, a dozen states have established broad-based merit aid programs. The typical program waives tuition and fees at public colleges and universities in one's home state. Unlike traditional merit programs, such as the National Merit Scholarship, this aid requires relatively modest academic performance and provides scholarships…

The Maryland Higher Education Commission conducts annual surveys of talented Maryland high school seniors to learn about their college plans. This report focuses on the results of the survey of high ability students who graduated from a Maryland high school in the spring of 1998. Survey participants were asked to identify the postsecondary…

This report presents statistical data on admission and in-course merit scholarships awarded to full-time undergraduate students at Ontario universities. Highlights include: (1) 16 percent of the first-year entering class received admission scholarships and 9 percent of the upper-year class received in-course scholarships; (2) females received more…

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)

Examines differences in retention rates and college grade point average of academic scholarship and leadership scholarship students. Results indicate no significant difference in college grade point average, however leadership scholars achieved higher retention rates. Results suggest that predictors of college involvement may be indirect…

Discusses data that indicate that students' academic promise is increasingly influencing even the amount of "need-based" aid they receive, signaling that families' demonstrated financial need is of less importance than they may expect when they fill out all those financial aid forms. (EV)

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…