Scholarship snapshot
Amount: $1000(renewable)
Scope: Partial scholarships
Target Country: United States
Target Audience: Freshmen
Deadline: November 1, 2023 (early action)
What is the National Merit University of Minnesota scholarship?
The National Merit scholarship is one of a number of scholarships offered by the University of Minnesota for National Merit Finalists. It is intended to support high-achieving students in realizing their career aspirations.
In addition to the Gold Scholar award outlined in our previous article, the National Merit Scholarship is a great opportunity for finalists who have chosen the University of Minnesota Twin Cities as their first-choice college.
Scholarship amount
The National Merit Scholarship awards $1000 to its recipients. This is renewable for up to four years of undergraduate study and can be used to cover academic expenses.
Eligibility requirements for the National Merit Scholarship
To qualify for the National Merit Scholarship, you must meet the following eligibility requirements:
- You must be a citizen of the United States, a permanent resident, or be eligible for the Minnesota Dream act.
- You must be an undergraduate of the University of Minnesota
- The National Merit scholarship prefers a National Merit Finalist for its awards.
- As a National Merit Finalist, you must declare the University of Minnesota Twin Cities as your first-choice college by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation final deadline
- Your academic performance in high school is used to determine the level of your academic preparedness. The scholarship will consider your grade point average, class rank (if available), and rigor of academic curriculum based on what is available in the high school (including enrollment in honors, AP, IB, A-Level, or college-level courses when available)
- Students whose native language is not English or who have lived in the United States for fewer than eight years will require an English proficiency test when applying.
How to apply for the National Merit Scholarship?
Here are the steps to be considered for the National Merit Scholarship:
- Become a National Merit Finalist
- Declare the University of Minnesota as your first-choice college by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation final deadline
- Apply for admission to the University of Minnesota.
Let’s consider these requirements in more detail.
Become a National Merit Finalist
As previously mentioned, the National Merit Scholarship prefers National Merit Finalists. High school students who wish to become National Merit Finalists and meet the program’s entry requirements must enroll in the National Merit Scholarship competition. You will need to take the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT). All high school students must see their counselor at the beginning of the school year to arrange to take the PSAT/NMSQT in the fall.
To acquire more information on the program’s eligibility requirements and how to take part in the program, visit the NMSC website.
Declare the University of Minnesota as your first-choice college
The University of Minnesota is a college sponsor of the National Merit Scholarship Program. So while applying for the National Merit Scholarship, declare the University of Minnesota Twin Cities as your first-choice college by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation final deadline.
To determine the final group of candidates to a college or university that sponsors awards, NMSC must receive college choice reports before May 31, 2023, as the deadline, in order to ensure consistency and to conclude the annual competition in a timely manner.
If you have questions, please contact the National Merit Scholarship Corporation at 847-866-5100.
Apply for admission to the University of Minnesota
As a National Merit Finalist, you do not need a separate application to apply for the National Merit scholarship. The award reviews all admitted freshmen that are National Merit Finalists based on an overall assessment of their freshman application. To be duly considered, you must submit your admission applications by the corresponding application deadline date.
You can apply through any of the following platforms of preference: Golden Gopher or the Common Application. We strongly advise that you submit only one application, a double submission will hinder your admission decision.
Application deadline
| Deadline Category | Date | Admission decision on Application Tracker |
|---|---|---|
| Early Action I Deadline | November 1, 2023 | January 31, 2024 |
| Early Action II Deadline | December 1, 2023 | February 15, 2024 |
| Regular Deadline | January 1, 2023 | March 15, 2024 |
At Scholarship Monitor, we are committed to providing you with up-to-date information on scholarship opportunities. Make sure to always check back for more updates and take advantage of the resources we have provided to help you achieve your academic and career goals.
