What’s the difference between a MERIT-BASED and NEED-BASED Scholarship?

All colleges offer Merit scholarships. Contact your school of choice if you have a competitive GPA and SAT/ACT score.  Apply early!!!!

Although most scholarships are merit-based, the Universities sponsoring the scholarships also have NEED-based programs in place to help low-income and first-generation college students! More info on need-based programs will be available throughout the semester

Merit-Based

Merit scholarships are those scholarships that require you to have done something in order to win. They may be academic or athletic, but all merit scholarships, regardless of theme or topic require you to have completed something, accomplished something or generally done something by which they can measure you.

Need-Based

A need based scholarship may be offered by the school, a business, an organization, or a private endowment. A need based scholarship may take academics into account, but the primary criterion for qualification is demonstrating financial need. Students who have parents in a lower-middle income bracket may not have the funds to pay for college, but their parents make too much for them to qualify for government grants and other assistance primarily for students at or below the poverty level. Need- based scholarships help bridge the financial gap.