This table lists the 62 colleges and universities enrolling the largest number of freshman Merit Scholars named in 1991. It shows the total number of Merit Scholarship winners and the number whose scholarships were paid for by the institution. (DB)

Describes how Rhodes scholarships and other prestigious awards, once dominated by the Ivy League, are going to other colleges. Winning institutions are employing special advisers and programs to prepare competitors and lure top students and big donors. (EV)

The 1990s ushered in a new age in state financial support for college students, with the rise of broad-based merit scholarships. Starting in the South and spreading from there, the premise of the "new generation" of programs was simple--states should be in the business of rewarding student performance, retaining the state's "best…

Discussion of the increasing price competition in higher education provides tables, graphs, and analyses of the higher education market and examines implications of offering attractive financial aid packages to better students. Finds price competition results in a greater concentration of talented students at high-resource schools and declining…

Subsidies to higher education in the United States have long been guided by the belief that policy should encourage college attendance. In principle, if not always in practice, policy has for some time sought to accomplish this by addressing college affordability. General subsidies that keep tuition at public institutions low are coupled with…

Florida's Bright Futures program is one of the nation's largest merit-based scholarship initiatives. This study used high school transcript and college enrollment data to examine the program's impact on high school course-taking patterns, school grades, college entrance exam scores, and rates of college attendance over time. The study indicates…

The author provides general information on scholarships for students with academic, artistic, and athletic talents. Topics covered include (1) early planning, (2) sources of scholarship information, (3) recruiters, (4) school and other sources of aid, (5) the campus visit, and (6) alternatives to scholarships. A list of references is attached. (CH)

As a college degree is becoming a necessity for later earning a steady living, tuition rates are rising rapidly. Fortunately, the availability of merit-based scholarships is increasing, yet little research has been done on scholarship-awarding practices. Determining whether high school counselors accurately perceive awarding practices is an…

The Secretary is adopting as final, with changes, interim final regulations in: 34 CFR part 691 for the Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG) and National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent Grant (National SMART Grant) programs; 34 CFR part 668 (Student Assistance General Provisions); and 34 CFR part 690 (Federal Pell Grant Program).…

Each year, the National Association of State Student Grant and Aid Programs (NASSGAP) completes a survey regarding state-funded expenditures for postsecondary student financial aid. This report, the 37th annual survey, represents data from academic year 2005-06. Data highlights of the survey include: (1) In the 2005-2006 academic year, the states…

This study used data from the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS) for 1989-90 and 1995-96 to examine the awarding of need-based and merit student financial aid to entering college freshmen by private four-year colleges. Regression analysis used the amount of institutional need-based grant awarded to an individual freshman as a…

The 57 colleges and universities enrolling the most freshman Merit Scholars named in 1989 are listed, with the total number of Merit Scholarship winners and the number whose scholarships were paid for by the institution. Overall, 6,290 freshman Merit Scholars were enrolled, 3,228 at private and 2,652 at public institutions. (Author/MSE)

A study interviewed 25 individuals with visual impairments who received Career Incentive Awards between 1986 and 1995. Results found the participants were a diverse group in terms of personal and educational backgrounds, career goals, and age, yet all demonstrated a common drive to succeed and were highly educated. (Contains references.) (CR)

This theme issue focuses on academic competitions for academically talented youth. It lists approximately 30 selected competitions from a variety of academic areas, describing their eligible grade levels, types of projects or tests involved, fees, awards, and deadlines. An article describes the National Merit Scholarship Program and use of the…

Presents a case study that reports on one institution's longitudinal approach to measuring the effectiveness of merit scholarships as a recruitment and retention tool. Describes a method of analysis designed to measure the economic effectiveness of merit awards from the institution's perspective and identifies policy questions related to the use…