23 Full-Ride Scholarships for National Merit Finalists
What’s Covered:
- How Much Are National Merit Scholarships?
- How Many Schools Offer Full Rides to National Merit Scholars?
- 23 Full-Ride Scholarships for National Merit Finalists
- Full-Tuition Scholarships for National Merit Finalists
- How Does Your PSAT Score Impact Your College Chances?
It’s no wonder that many colleges are excited to welcome National Merit Finalists to their campuses—they’re among the most sought-after students in the nation, having scored highly on standardized tests and having demonstrated academic excellence during their high school years.
Some colleges offer National Merit Finalists full-ride scholarships to entice them into attending their institution, and a few will even provide additional financial awards that can be applied to things like research, study abroad, and technology.
How Much Are National Merit Scholarships?
National Merit Finalists begin as National Merit Semifinalists—an honor earned by scoring highly on the PSAT/NMSQT. Just 16,000 students out of over 1.5 million test takers are recognized as Semifinalists! Semifinalists are selected by state, with each state having its own cutoff scores (which change annually) that a student must meet to become a semifinalist.
While being named a National Merit Semifinalist is a prestigious honor in its own right, such students are also given the opportunity to advance to the level of National Merit Finalist. Finalists can earn scholarship dollars through a process similar to completing a college application—earning a strong score on the SAT or ACT, getting great grades, receiving a persuasive recommendation, and composing a compelling essay.
At the completion of the process, over 15,000 students are named National Merit Finalists and become eligible to win one of three types of scholarships:
- The National Merit Scholarship: This is a one-time award of $2,500 based largely on a student’s academic record, essays, and written recommendations.
- Corporate-Sponsored Merit Scholarship Awards: These scholarships vary in multiple aspects, from value to length—some are one-time awards while others are renewable. They’re awarded to students who meet specific criteria, such as being children of the business’s employees, residing in a community where the business operates, or pursuing a particular career path.
- College-Sponsored Merit Scholarship Awards: Colleges and universities offer students renewable awards of varying values, provided that they’ve listed the school as their first choice and that they’ve gained admission.
How Many Schools Offer Full Rides to National Merit Scholars?
Full-ride scholarships are the most generous award a student can receive—they cover the total expenses of college, including tuition, housing, meals, fees, and books. They also often include stipends that can be used on anything from covering other living expenses to studying abroad.
Full-ride scholarships are as rare as they are generous—the website Investopedia says that “unless a student is an elite athlete, in the top 1% academically, or has accomplished some other notable feat, the likelihood of getting a full-ride scholarship is slim to none.” Don’t be discouraged, though! One notable feat that can earn a student a full-ride scholarship at select schools is becoming a National Merit Finalist.
23 Full-Ride Scholarships for National Merit Finalists
Numerous colleges offer full-ride scholarships to National Merit Finalists—a strong incentive to entice top students into applying to their programs.
1. Faulkner University
Freshman applicants who are National Merit Finalists and list Faulkner University as their first-choice school with the National Merit Scholarship Corporation receive funding to cover full tuition, room and board, and mandatory fees. National Merit Semifinalists also receive an award—they’re given free tuition at the University.
2. Florida Atlantic University
Florida Atlantic University (FAU) provides in-state National Merit Finalists with awards that cover up to the full cost of attendance through the Benacquisto Scholarship Program. Students must maintain a 3.0 GPA and enroll for 12 credit hours per semester to continue receiving the award.
3. Florida International University
National Merit Finalists will find tuition, fees, housing, and a meal plan covered at Florida International University (FIU). They will also receive a stipend for books and, if they demonstrate financial need, a laptop as well.
To qualify for the award, students must choose FIU as their top-choice university with the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.
4. Liberty University
Liberty University offers to cover the cost of tuition, as well as room and board, for up to four years for National Merit Finalists. Semifinalists can receive a scholarship for 100% of tuition for up to four years.
Students must matriculate into Liberty University’s Honors Program to receive the award.
5. Louisiana Tech University
The National Merit Scholarship at Louisiana Tech University covers the cost of tuition, on-campus housing, and meals for four years for National Merit Finalists who list Louisiana Tech University as their first choice with the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.
To continue receiving the award, students must take a full-time course load and maintain a 3.0 GPA.
6. New College of Florida
The New College of Florida offers to cover the full cost of attendance for National Merit Finalists who are residents of the Sunshine State through the Benacquisto Scholarship Program. To qualify, students must register the New College of Florida as their first-choice institution with the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.
7. Oakwood University
Oakwood University provides free tuition and room and board to National Merit Finalists for four years and free tuition to National Merit Semifinalists for four years. Recipients must maintain a specific GPA based on their year in school and are expected to average 15 credit hours per semester.
8. Oklahoma Christian University
Oklahoma Christian University (OC) National Merit Scholar Award covers up to 17 credit hours per semester of full tuition, mandatory fees, housing, and a meal plan for up to eight semesters. To qualify, students must list OC as their first-choice university with the National Merit Scholarship Corporation and maintain a 3.0 GPA as an OC student.
9. Texas Tech University
The National Merit Finalist Scholarship from Texas Tech provides National Merit Finalists with funding to cover the full cost of attendance for four years of undergraduate study. To remain eligible to receive funding, scholarship recipients are required to enroll in 30 hours per academic year and maintain a minimum 3.5 GPA.
10. University of Alabama
The University of Alabama has an enticing offer for National Merit Finalists—free tuition and housing. The school also provides National Merit Finalists with a supplemental scholarship of $4,000 per year and a one-time $2,000 allowance for summer research or international study.
11. University of Central Florida
Both in-state and out-of-state National Merit Finalists have a good reason to put the University of Central Florida (UCF) at the top of their lists—in-state students have their total cost of attendance covered, while out-of-state students receive a National Merit Scholarship package valued at more than $100,000 over four years.
National Merit Finalists also receive guaranteed admission into UCF’s Burnett Honors College, guaranteed on-campus housing, and a personalized campus visit.
12. University of Idaho
National Merit Finalists at the University of Idaho receive an institutional award that covers tuition, fees, and room and board if they enroll at the University for their first semester of undergraduate studies. National Merit Finalists are also directly admitted to the University Honors Program.
13. University of Maine
National Merit Finalists and Semifinalists are awarded the UMaine National Merit Award, which provides free tuition, as well as room and board, at the University of Maine for up to 30 credits per academic year. Students must maintain a 3.3 GPA to continue receiving the award.
14. University of Mississippi
National Merit Finalists with a minimum 3.0 GPA are eligible for the Academic Excellence National Merit Semifinalist/Finalist Scholarship at the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss). The award covers the cost of tuition and housing—it also covers non-resident fees for out-of-state students. The award is renewable for up to four years.
15. University of Missouri
Missouri residents who are National Merit Finalists or Semifinalists receive an award for full tuition and fees at the University of Missouri. They also receive $13,700 annually to cover the cost of on-campus housing and dining, a $2,000 one-time award for research or study abroad, and a one-time $1,000 tech enrichment award.
Unlike many other National Merit Scholarships, students are not required to list the University of Missouri as their first choice to qualify for the award.
16. University of New Mexico
In-state students who are National Merit Finalists qualify for free tuition, fees, and housing at the University of New Mexico. The award is renewable for four years, provided that recipients maintain a minimum 3.3 GPA and complete 15 credit hours in the fall and spring semesters.
17. University of North Texas
The saying goes “everything is bigger in Texas,” and that’s true for National Merit Finalist awards—at least at the University of North Texas, where scholarship packages include the total cost of attendance. Both residents and non-residents of Texas have the cost of tuition, housing, meals, and books covered, along with a generous stipend.
The total value of the award for Texas residents is $128,000, while the value for non-residents is $177,000!
18. University of Southern Mississippi
The University of Southern Mississippi offers National Merit Finalists a scholarship equivalent to the cost of tuition, campus housing, meal plan, and a $500 educational allowance per semester. Recipients also receive a one-time $4,000 stipend for study abroad. National Merit Semifinalists can receive a scholarship equivalent to the full cost of tuition for four years.
To qualify for these awards, students must list the University of Southern Mississippi as their first-choice institution.
19. University of South Florida
The University of South Florida (USF) provides National Merit Finalists with a strong incentive to attend the school. Both in-state and out-of-state students receive a scholarship covering 100% of the full cost of attendance, along with a $2,000 scholarship for study abroad.
National Merit Finalists at USF also receive access to individualized advising, exclusive academic workshops, and invitation-only social events.
20. University of Texas at Dallas
UT Dallas offers an enticing package to National Merit Finalists: a scholarship covering four years of tuition, housing, and a meal plan. National Merit Finalists also receive a stipend for books and supplies, study abroad, and research. Other perks include admission into the Collegium V Honors program, access to the honors lounge, and exclusive social events.
To keep their scholarship, students must maintain a 3.0 GPA and make satisfactory progress to graduate in four years.
21. University of Tulsa
National Merit Finalists who designate the University of Tulsa (TU) as their first-choice school with the National Merit Scholarship Corporation are awarded free tuition, fees, room and board, and books at the school. Recipients are also given membership in Leadership TU (led by the University’s President). In total, more than $245,000 is invested in each National Merit Finalist over four years.
The award is renewable for up to four years, but students may petition for a fifth year if needed to complete their undergraduate degree. Students must maintain a minimum of 12 hours of coursework per semester to continue receiving the award.
22. University of West Florida
National Merit Finalists who attend the University of West Florida (UWF) are awarded free tuition, fees, housing, and meal plan. Recipients are also given an $800 stipend per semester for books and a one-time stipend of up to $1,500 for research or study abroad.
23. Virginia Commonwealth University
National Merit Finalists are eligible for the Presidential Scholarship at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), a four-year award that covers the cost of tuition, fees, and room and board. The total value of the award is approximately $114,356!
Full-Tuition Scholarships for National Merit Finalists
While a number of colleges offer full-ride scholarships to National Merit Finalists, numerous others provide National Merit Finalists with free tuition.
1. Arizona State University (ASU)
ASU offers a generous award to National Merit Finalists: an award of $16,000 a year that’s renewable for up to three additional years. That totals $64,000, exceeding the base tuition of $11,822 at the university for Arizona residents
2. Brigham Young University (BYU)
National Merit Finalists who list BYU as their first-choice school are eligible to win a full-tuition scholarship for up to eight semesters. The award covers the cost of Latter-day Saint tuition—that is, the tuition rate for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
3. Bryan College
Bryan College offers first-time college students who are National Merit Award Finalists and Semifinalists a free-tuition scholarship. The award is renewable, so long as the student maintains a minimum 3.75 GPA.
4. Harding University
Harding University provides National Merit Finalists a scholarship for full-tuition along with a $2,000 annual stipend—providing they select Harding University as their first-choice school, live in campus housing, and maintain a 3.25 GPA.
National Merit Semifinalists are also eligible for an award covering the full cost of tuition.
5. Iowa State University
Iowa State University provides in-state National Merit Finalists with free tuition scholarships that are renewable for four years of undergraduate coursework. To receive the award, students must maintain full-time status at the University and a minimum 3.0 GPA.
6. La Sierra University
Students named National Merit Finalists and Semifinalists receive a scholarship covering 100% of tuition and standard fees at La Sierra University. The scholarship is renewable for up to four years, however, students must take a minimum of 12 credits per semester.
7. New Jersey Institute of Technology
National Merit Finalists are eligible to receive a four-year award covering the cost of tuition at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT). The award is renewable for four years, provided that recipients maintain full-time status and a minimum 3.0 GPA.
8. Northern Arizona University
National Merit Finalists and Semifinalists can receive full-tuition awards at Northern Arizona University. Recipients are also eligible for a $1,000 Honors Scholarship for their first two years of attendance, on the condition that they’re actively enrolled in the honors curriculum.
9. Oklahoma State University
Both in-state and out-of-state National Merit Finalists qualify for a five-year tuition waiver at Oklahoma State University (OSU). The award is valued at up to $53,100 for in-state students and up to $149,700 for out-of-state students!
10. University of Arizona
While not exactly a full-tuition scholarship award, National Merit Finalists and Semifinalists are eligible for Wildcat Tuition Rewards of $18,000 (for finalists) and up to $11,000 (for semifinalists), which is in line with the university’s cost of tuition—at least the $13,900 expense for Arizona residents.
11. University of Houston
National Merit Finalists at the University of Houston receive a scholarship that covers the cost of tuition and required fees. They also receive a $2,000 stipend for study abroad and a $1,000 stipend for research.
Students must select the University of Houston as their first-choice school to qualify for the award.
12. University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma (OU) won’t cover all the expenses of in-state and out-of-state National Merit Finalists; however, it does offer them particularly generous aid packages. OU waives tuition for National Merit Finalists and provides generous stipends to help offset the cost of room and board, books, technology, and fees. The University also awards stipends for study abroad and research.
How Does Your PSAT Score Impact Your College Chances?
PSAT scores aren’t evaluated in the college admissions process; however, a high PSAT score is a strong indicator that an applicant will earn a high score on the SAT, which impacts your chances significantly. Standardized test scores and grades are used to calculate an applicant’s Academic Index—a single numerical score that many highly selective colleges use to screen applicants. If an applicant fails to meet a college’s Academic Index threshold, their application is likely not to receive serious consideration.
As mentioned above, becoming a National Merit Semifinalist is an impressive achievement in itself, since just the top 1% of scorers in a given state receive that recognition. National Merit Semifinalists will want to make sure to include it in the Awards and Honors section of the Common App, as it may improve their odds of college admission.
How to Calculate Your Odds of Acceptance
CollegeVine’s free chancing engine can help add clarity to your college admission odds. This tool takes into account just about every element of your application (other than your interview, letters of recommendation, and essays, which aren’t quantifiable), including your grades, course rigor, SAT/ACT scores (if you have them), and extracurriculars, to give you personalized odds of acceptance at all of your top choice schools. You’ll also receive suggestions for how to boost your odds!
