Merit awards from your state and how they renew
State merit awards reward high school work, and this article explains how they are earned and how they are kept. The renewal rules matter as much as the first award, since most students lose these grants through a missed check rather than a missed application.
How states choose merit recipients
A state merit award usually looks at the high school grade average, and some states also look at test scores or a required set of high school courses. The state agency publishes the standards each year, and high school counselors often track which seniors appear to meet them.
Some merit programs consider income as well as grades, and many ask for the FAFSA even when need plays no part. Most can be used only at colleges inside the state, so the award weighs in when you compare offers.
The renewal checks in college
Once you enroll, the state looks at your college record instead of your high school one. Renewal usually depends on keeping a set grade average and completing a set number of credits each year. Some states check at the end of each year and others at credit checkpoints along the way.
Many awards also stop after a fixed number of terms or years, even when grades stay high. A student who changes majors late or studies part time for a while can reach that limit before graduating.
Renewal usually depends on keeping a set grade average and completing a set number of credits each year.
If the award is lost
Some states let a student regain a merit award by raising the grade average at a later checkpoint. Others treat a lost award as final, and a few allow an appeal for a serious illness or a family crisis. The state agency's rules say which applies, and the college aid office handles the paperwork.
Summer classes can help in states that count them toward the credit total. Ask the aid office before you enroll whether a summer course will count for the state's check.
Transferring between colleges in the same state usually keeps the award alive, though the new college must confirm your record. Send your transcript early so the state sees every credit you have earned.
Steps to take this week
- Read your state merit award's renewal rules
- Write down the grade average and credits each year needs
- Ask the aid office when the state checks your record
- Find out how many terms the award can last
Who decides
Your state's higher education agency
A state merit award is kept through grades and credits checked in college, not only earned in high school.
