Special Focus

Money for College: Scholarships and Merit-Based Aid

Volume 2 / Issue 3 / Spring 2002

You have guided your gifted children through many important accomplishments, and the next step is to help them prepare for college. There is good news: as college costs have risen, so have the monies designated for scholarships, many of them available to gifted students whose families do not qualify for aid based on financial need. Merit scholarships are based no just on high SAT and/or ACT scores and high grade point average but also on class ranking, letters of recommendation, quality of extracurricular activities, and/or personal interviews. Scholarships based solely on merit add up to about $5 billion of financial aid—money well worth pursuing, given the large sums required for tuition, room and board, fees, books and supplies, transportation, and personal expenses.

Categories of Scholarships

Scholarships fall into three distinct types: the incredibly narrow, the supercompetitive, and the drop in the bucket. Incredibly narrow scholarships target highly specific applicant pools, for example, women of American Indian descent who are studying nuclear physics. Supercompetitive scholarships, usually paying out substantial amounts, draw thousands of applicants but provide only a few awards. Most scholarships, the drops in the bucket, are for $500 or less. Yet they add up and can be helpful for covering expenses such as books and fees.

Scholarship awards may be based on personal characteristics, achievements, or affiliations with particular organizations and activities. Consider the following categories and sources prior to searching:

• personal characteristics— age, gender, citizenship, ethnicity, heritage, disability, state of residence
• academic characteristics— grade point average, class rank, standardized test scores
• interest in or studies and accomplishments related to a career in a particular area
• talents—athletics, theater, dance, music, art, writing, or debate • school organizations—National Honor Society, Future Business Leaders of America, and the like
• employment or volunteer work—that of either the student or the parents
• activities and organizations outside school—those of either the student or the parents, for example, Future Farmers of America, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and Rotary International
• religious affiliations—Knights of Columbus, among many others
• prior military service—that of either the student or the parents

Where to Start

Once you have gathered information about family affiliations and outlined the characteristics, interests, and achievements of your child, it is time to look for sources of money that are tailored to him or her. An abundance of resources exists:

• High school guidance counselors have information and applications for many of the well-known, national scholarship awards (i.e., the National Merit Scholarship).
• College financial-aid officers can provide information specific to their own institutions, as well as about many well-known national scholarships.
• Scholarship directories often come with CD-ROMs that make the scholarship search easier. Many Web sites also facilitate the search.

Searching for scholarships and other monies with your child can be an adventure. Encourage him or her to identify as many sources as possible. Friends who have children in college and alumni also may have information. A telephone call to your state representative and senator may uncover little-known statewide scholarships. Request information on sources of funding from the admissions offices of colleges and universities and also from the community and junior college board, usually located in the state’s capital city.

More on Merit-Based Scholarships

With many of the brightest students leaving their home states for college, a number of states have initiated merit-based scholarships to entice them to obtain their education at home. The requirements and award sizes vary. Check with the colleges and universities in your state for information on the scholarships it offers. National merit-based scholarships include the Toyota Community Scholarships, the National Merit Scholarships, the National Alliance for Excellence scholarships, the Davidson Fellows Awards, and the Horace Mann Scholarships.

In addition, there are many competitions that students can enter. They include the Holocaust Remembrance Project Essay Contest, the National Peace Essay Contest, the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution Knight Essay Contest, and the Intel Science Talent Search.

Final Thoughts

Teachers, parents, and counselors must work together to guide and assist the gifted student in understanding and identifying available scholarships. The road to locating and securing them can be long, arduous, but ultimately rewarding. By starting the process early, knowing the options, understanding the categories of scholarships, and accurately completing the applications, the gifted youth has a better chance of receiving awards. Remember that seeking merit-based financial assistance and applying to college is only the beginning of a much greater adventure.
—Kristen R. Stephens, PhD, and Frances A. Karnes, PhD

Kristen R. Stephens is support services coordinator at the Duke University Talent Identification Program and adjunct assistant professor in the Program in Education at Duke University.

Frances A. Karnes is director of the Frances A. Karnes Center for Gifted Studies at the University of Southern Mississippi.