Many states use merit-based aid as a way to attract high school graduates with demonstrated academic achievement to pursue higher education in their home states. The EPE Research Center found that 35 states offered these awards to students in the form of grants and scholarships during the 2007-08 school year. States apply a variety of criteria to award such aid, including high school grades, test scores, class rank, and advanced coursetaking. While most of those awards are intended for the state’s public colleges and universities, some may also be used at private institutions.
For more information about merit-based aid and other state-by-state data, search EPE’s Education Counts database.
States Awarding Merit-Based Financial Aid to Qualified High School Graduates (2007-08)
SOURCE: EPE Research Center, 2008
