All About Merit Scholarships
Merit scholarships are those contests that require you to have done something in order to win. They may be academic, athletic or what have you, 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.
Now, if that wasn’t confusing enough, let’s break this down even further. No two merit scholarships are the same, especially when you take into consideration the finer details, like whether or not they take financial need into consideration or if where you plan on going to college bears any weight on the outcome. The point is, merit scholarships are based on, well, your merits in any given area. Whether that means the quality of your essay or your commitment to the community, it will depend on the scholarship.
Let’s take a look at each type of merit scholarship in closer detail. They are the three “A’s.”
Academic Merit Scholarships
Academic merit scholarships are based on your grades, GPA and overall academic performance during high school. These are typically meant for students going straight to college right out of high school, however, there are scholarships for current college students with exceptional grades as well. These merit scholarships, a lot of the time, pay for your entire tuition bill, and they can be renewed each year so long as you continue to qualify. In some cases, you may need to be nominated by your school or a teacher as a part of the qualification process.
Likewise, academic scholarships provide many long-lasting benefits, long after you have completed school. For instance, you can mention an academic scholarship on your resume as you enter the workforce or on a grad school application. Regardless, having won an academic scholarship shows that you have serious commitment to what you take on and that you succeed at what you take on—two qualities professional schools and businesses love to have in their students or employees.
Athletic Merit Scholarships
Athletic merit scholarships are meant for those students that excel in sports of any kind. Believe me, there is an athletic scholarship for just about every sport, from football to gymnastics! Whether you are just out of high school and planning to attend college or are going back to school, students with excellent athletic skills can be recognized and rewarded with an athletic scholarship.
Nomination for these scholarships may be required as well, since exceptional athletic performance will typically have needed to be recognized by a coach or someone similar. Even so, those that do well in sports should seriously consider an athletic merit scholarship. You may need to have a great batting average or send in a tape containing your best plays, but it could all be worth it in the end when you’re not paying a penny for tuition!
Artistic Merit Scholarships
Just like with academic and athletic scholarships, artistic or creative scholarships require that you excel in your area of expertise. This will generally include any creative field such as art, design, fashion, music, dance or writing. There are many artistic scholarships out there, most of which are tailored for one creative field like music, for instance. When searching for scholarships, be sure to look for specific awards that are meant for your particular area of interest.
Applying for artsy scholarships will usually require that you submit a portfolio of some sort, whether that includes a collection of artwork, a recording of a musical performance or a video of you dancing.
In the end, all merit scholarships are very similar, it is merely the topical content that changes. So before you give up and think that there aren’t any scholarships available for you, think again. Whether you are a bookworm or a track and field star, there is a scholarship out there for you. Just make sure you recognize that merit scholarships are very competitive and your chances of winning are a bit lower than other scholarships. So long as you know this, good luck to you!