What is Merit Scholarship and How to Get One in 2024?

Are you in search of a good Scholarship to help you out with your educational needs? If yes, then you’re at the right place because what is Merit Scholarships are available for various course levels. Make sure you apply now for the scholarship.

What is a Merit Scholarship?

Merit scholarships are financial awards that help students pay for school. They’re one of the best forms of financial aid because they’re free money that you never have to pay back, often with few to no strings attached.

Typically, a merit scholarship is usually open to students who show a high level of achievement in specific areas, such as academics, athletics, or the arts.

Unlike need-based financial aid, merit scholarships do not take into account the Expected Family Contribution (EFC). In most cases, merit-based scholarships can be of help by lowering or completely covering the cost of typical four-year college tuition.

Merit scholarships are usually open to colleges and universities, however, many companies, organizations, and foundations offer them as well.

Although not all, most scholarship programs are merit-based which means scholars are chosen based on academic merit or in other forms such as leadership, athletic, or artistic merits.

However, Merit-based scholarships are referred to as excellence scholarships since they seek out the brightest and most talented students.

Merit-Based Scholarships Offered by Foreign Governments

1. Endeavour Postgraduate Awards (Australia)

2. Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships (Canada)

3. Eiffel Excellence Scholarship Programme (France)

4. Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships (Switzerland)

Merit-Based Scholarships Offered by Global Universities

1. Gates Cambridge Scholarships (UK)

2. Rhodes Scholarships (UK)

3. Clarendon Scholarships at the University of Oxford (UK)

4. Nottingham Vice-Chancellor’s International Scholarship for Research Excellence (UK)

5. Macquarie University Vice-Chancellor’s International Scholarships (Australia)

6. Adelaide Scholarships International (Australia)

7. University of Maastricht Scholarships for High Potential International Students(Netherlands)

8. Leiden University Excellence Scholarships for International Students (Netherlands)

9. Utrecht University Excellence Scholarships (Netherlands)

10. Amsterdam Excellence Scholarships (Netherlands)

11. TU Delft Excellence Scholarships (Netherlands)

12. ENS International Selection Scholarships (France)

13. ETH Excellence Scholarships (Switzerland)

14. University of Geneva Excellence Master Fellowships (Switzerland).

How to Get a Merit Scholarship

Get ready to start seeking out your own scholarship money. Here are all the steps you should take to guide you if you want to optimize your chances of winning a merit award.

There is no difficulty nor fast rule regarding how to apply for scholarships for merit students. Like other scholarship programs, the organization offering these scholarships can set their own requirements and screening criteria.

When you identify a scholarship want to apply for;

First, read the application instructions properly as outlined by the school, business, or organization. Next, follow all other instructions that follow.

Here is a list of how to get a Merit scholarship you should look out for.

1. Start on Time

As stated earlier, you have to be in it for the long haul if you hope to qualify for some more competitive merit awards.

A typical merit award will ask for transcripts, records, or documentation going back to your freshman year of high school.

You need to show a pattern of consistent high-achievement or consistent improvement. This will be of help if you hope to come across as an interesting applicant.

2. Choose your Focus

As a young high school student, you need to start thinking about the type of award you are most likely to qualify. Are you trying to be a top-level student, a star athlete, a community service expert or some combination?

Merit awards are useless if you can not use them at the schools you want.

3. Be Proactive

It is important to constantly demonstrate that you are an outstanding student (or athlete or volunteer) to be a candidate for the merit award. This means that you are responsible for handling any weaknesses in your performance before they become major problems.

To be proactive, you can:

Consult teachers and trainers for additional help with tasks or problem areas.
Meet your counsellor or college counsellor regularly (maybe once every three months) to check college plans, grades, career goals, etc. This can also be useful if you need letters of authorization from your advisors later for scholarship applications.

4. Get an ACT/ SAT Prep Plan

Standardized test grades are often a big part of qualifying for merit scholarships. The earlier you start laying out a plan for preparing and taking either the ACT or the SAT, the better off you’ll be. To start formulating a plan, check out these guides:

1. Should you take the ACT or the SAT?

2. How long should you study for the ACT or the SAT?

3. ACT/SAT dates and study plans

4. How to get a perfect score on the ACT or the SAT

5. Find “Good Fit” Scholarships

Not all the scholarships you are interested in will necessarily be appropriate, even if technically you meet all the eligibility criteria. The progress of scholarships will not be the only thing you can think of when you compile these applications, so it is important to use your time efficiently when choosing scholarships.

You can offer an infinite number of applications from a technical point of view, but you are likely to waste your time. Do not just want to apply for a prize or two prizes, keep applying for a set of scholarship numbers, so aim for 8-10 applications.

Think of it as if you were considering making progress towards universities: select some “access scholarships”, a few “security” and some “specific”.

6. Submit Published Polished Applications

As with your college applications, you only have one opportunity to make a good impression when you apply for merit scholarships (especially when it comes to more competitive prizes, where scholarship committees need to handle thousands of applications).

If possible, start preparing an initial list of scholarships at the beginning of the year for new students. This may seem a bit proactive, but keep in mind that many of the best scholarships are worth the end of the year.

This initial investigation will also help you stay on track to meet the requirements.

Start thinking seriously about your applications four months before they expire. This gives you time to request letters of recommendation (if any). It also allows you to receive comments on article projects.

Easy Way of Getting A Merit Scholarship

There are two major sources of merit scholarships: Private organizations and colleges/universities themselves. The way you’d go about finding (and applying) for these scholarships depends on their source.

A merit scholarship can come from several sources, so there are likely more opportunities available than you’d initially realize.

Here are some of the most common places you can sort for scholarships for merit students.

1. Private Companies That Offers Merit-Based Scholarship

A variety of businesses may offer students merit scholarships for majoring in a related field. This can be used as a recruitment method, as they will probably entice scholarship recipients to join their company upon graduation or to improve their public image.

Providing these awards, it is important to review any fine print to determine whether joining the business after graduation is a requirement.

2. University And Colleges

Merit scholarships are a very common recruitment technique at several colleges and universities. Many educational institutions want to bring in the best and brightest students they can seek out as well as those who show exceptional talent in areas like sports, the arts, and even community involvement.

Sometimes, they offer scholarships to help promote diversity or improve enrollment in under-represented disciplines

Things Merit Scholarships Can Pay For

How you can spend a scholarship can also vary from one organization to another. Some will provide funds directly to the college or university, so they are given their use for the study.

However, depending on how the school manages its funds, it can also allow excessive funds to be directed to costs such as room, food, library purchases, and other internal expenses. It is also possible to return any surplus to an applicant.

In other means, money can be spent on almost anything. This money is for education (of course), but also for living expenses, such as room, food or almost anything else.

When the award is provided in cash, there are usually no restrictions on how the money can be spent as long as your student meets the terms of the merit scholarship, like staying in school.

Merit scholarships are not restricted by a student’s financial challenge; rather, a merit scholarship is a monetary gift out by a private organization to students who excel in a certain area.

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