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…

As of 2005, 15 states had adopted a broad-based merit aid program, providing a combined $1.2 billion for college students on the basis of academic qualifications. This represents a shift away from a long tradition of need-based aid at the state and federal levels. This article utilizes a Cox proportional hazards model to analyze states'…

This directory lists over 1,200 merit and other no-need funding and scholarship programs open to students in college and students returning to college for their higher education in the United States. The programs are classified according to course of study in the sciences, social sciences, humanities, or any subject area. Programs reward…

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…

Each year, the National Association of State Student Grant and Aid Programs (NASSGAP) completes a survey regarding state-funded expenditures for postsecondary student financial aid. This report, the 34th annual survey, represents data from academic year 2002-03. Data highlights include: (1) In the 2002-03 academic year, the states awarded about…

Each year, the National Association of State Student Grant and Aid Programs (NASSGAP) completes a survey regarding state-funded expenditures for postsecondary student financial aid. This report, the 35th annual survey, represents data from academic year 2003-04. Data highlights include: (1) In the 2003-2004 academic year, the states awarded about…

Many colleges award more merit-based scholarship money to athletes than to all other undergraduates combined. Critics say this sends disturbing messages about institutional priorities. Others claim athletic scholarships derive from sports-related income. Awarding of athletic scholarships based on need would partially alleviate the problem. (MSE)

Louisiana's program of state merit scholarships, inspired by Georgia's HOPE Scholarship program, is over budget in its first year because lawmakers pushed to expand eligibility and data for estimating costs was inadequate. Critics find such programs often provide aid to families with little financial need. The program pays full tuition at state…

Reports on a $1 billion dollar grant from Bill and Melinda Gates to send 20,000 low-income minority students to college. The Gates Millenium Scholars Program will require students to demonstrate financial need and maintain a 3.0 grade point average in college. A list of the largest private gifts to higher education since 1967 is also provided. (DB)

This guide advises students about college costs and how to pay them. The booklet explains financial aid and how it can help a student reach his or her educational goals. Merit-based and need-based aid programs are described, and the family's expected financial contribution is explained. The process of obtaining and completing the Free Application…

In 1993, the creation of Georgia's HOPE Scholarship Program accelerated interest in understanding the effects of merit-based student financial aid. This article compares a sample of "borderline" HOPE recipients (students just above the eligibility threshold) with similar nonrecipients to examine differences on four college performance outcomes.…

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 directory lists more than 1,000 merit and other no-need funding and scholarship programs open to high school students and recent graduates for their undergraduate education in the United States. The programs are classified according to course of study in the sciences, social sciences, humanities, or any subject area. Programs reward…

This volume provides information on more than 1,300 merit scholarships and other no-need funding programs available specifically to students already in college or students who are thinking about returning to college. Programs listed in the guide make decisions based upon student academic records, research skills, writing ability, creative…

All of the financial aid decisions at Williams College (Williamstown, Massachusetts) for the past 14 years--nearly 14,000 of them--were reviewed to see how much students actually paid for tuition, room, board, and fees to go to that highly selective and expensive school, their net prices. Williams practices need-blind admission with full…