Need-based vs merit aid for Ghanaian students
Need-based aid is set by what your family can pay; merit aid is set by how strong your application is. For most Ghanaian families, need-based aid is the bigger prize, because universities that meet full need can cover almost the whole cost. Merit awards are usually partial and go to the strongest applicants at a university. Use need-based universities as the core of your list, and merit universities as a second layer.
What is the difference between need-based and merit aid?
Need-based aid is set by your family's finances. Merit aid is set by your record. A university offering need-based aid asks what your family can pay and covers some or all of the rest. A university offering merit aid asks how strong you are compared with its other applicants, and rewards the strongest.
The difference decides how you build your list. A Ghanaian family on a modest income usually gets far more from need-based aid at the right universities than from any merit award.
How does each one decide your award?
They use different evidence and produce different kinds of offer:
| Need-based aid | Merit aid | |
|---|---|---|
| What decides it | Your family's income, assets and household | Your grades, achievements, essays and leadership |
| Forms | CSS Profile, or the university's own aid form, with documents | Usually just the admission application; sometimes a separate one |
| Typical size | Up to the full cost at universities that meet full need | Usually a fixed sum, from a few thousand dollars to full tuition |
| Changes each year? | Yes, when your family's figures change | Usually fixed, if you keep the grades required |
| Who offers it to internationals | A smaller group, mostly highly selective | Many universities, including less selective ones |
Neither is better in every case. What matters is the bill each one leaves your family, year after year.
Which universities give only need-based aid?
The most selective ones, mostly. The Ivy League says its universities give aid only on the basis of financial need, with no academic or athletic scholarships. Many of the other universities that meet full need work the same way.
That is not bad news. At these universities, the aid that meets your need often covers far more than a merit award would. A student admitted to a university that meets full need, from a family with little income, may pay almost nothing. Our guide to universities that meet full need names them.
Which universities give merit aid to international students?
Many do, across a wide range of selectivity. Two examples show the range:
- The University of Rochester says it considers all applicants for merit scholarships, regardless of citizenship.
- Vanderbilt University offers the Cornelius Vanderbilt Scholarship, worth full tuition, and adds need-based aid for recipients whose need is greater.
Merit awards usually go to the strongest applicants at each university. So the same student can win nothing at a university where they are average, and a large award at one where they are near the top. That is why merit universities belong on your list where your record stands out, not only where it fits.
Can I receive both at once?
Sometimes. It depends on how each university combines them, and there are three common rules:
- Merit on top of need. The university meets your need, and a merit award, if any, replaces part of a loan or work expectation.
- Need on top of merit. You win a merit award, and the university adds need-based aid if your need is larger. Vanderbilt describes this for its full-tuition scholarship.
- Merit instead of need. A merit award reduces your need-based aid by the same amount, so your family's bill does not change.
Ask each aid office which rule it uses before you assume a merit award helps.
Can I lose either kind of aid after the first year?
Yes, and each kind is lost in a different way. Merit aid is lost through grades. Need-based aid changes with paperwork and your family's finances.
- Merit aid usually carries a condition, such as a minimum grade point average each year. Vanderbilt's full-tuition scholarship, for example, renews while you keep at least a 3.0. Fall below it, and the award can stop, while the bill does not.
- Need-based aid is usually recalculated every year. Your family files updated figures, and the award moves with your income. A missed renewal deadline can delay next year's aid.
Both can also stop if you drop below full-time study or break the university's rules. Before you accept any offer, read the renewal terms and put the yearly deadlines in your calendar. A four-year plan only works if the aid lasts four years.
A merit condition matters more than it looks. Your first year abroad is a big adjustment, and a hard first semester can pull your grades down. Ask how the condition works if you fall short once: some universities give a probation year before the award stops.
How do I apply for each?
For need-based aid, file the university's aid forms by its aid deadline, usually the CSS Profile or the university's own form, with documents. Tick "yes" to financial aid on your application. Some universities will not consider an international student for need-based aid later if they did not ask for it when they applied.
For merit aid, read each university's scholarship page. Many consider every applicant automatically. Others need a separate application, an earlier deadline or a nomination from your school. Some universities give merit consideration only to students who apply by an early priority date, often around 1 December. Our guide to how US financial aid works covers the aid forms.
How should I build my list around both?
In layers, with need-based universities at the core:
- Universities that meet full need. The core of your list if your family cannot pay much. Admission is hard, but the aid is complete.
- Universities with large merit awards for internationals, where your record is near the top. These are your realistic funded options.
- Universities with both, where a merit award and need-based aid can stack.
For each one, find out which kind of aid it gives international students, and whether you have to apply separately. Then compare offers by one number: what your family pays each year. Our guide to full ride and full tuition shows how to work that out.
What should I do first?
Next to each university on your list, write "need", "merit" or "both", and the deadline for each. If a university gives international students neither, it needs a strong reason to stay.
Our free ebook walks through building a funded list from the start, if you would like the full picture.
Questions people ask
What is the difference between need-based and merit aid?
Need-based aid depends on your family's finances: the university works out what you can pay and covers some or all of the rest. Merit aid depends on your record: grades, achievements and leadership, whatever your family earns.
Do Ivy League universities give merit scholarships?
No. The Ivy League says its universities give aid only on the basis of financial need, with no academic or athletic scholarships. For a Ghanaian student, their need-based aid can still be generous.
Can international students get merit scholarships in the USA?
Yes, at many universities. The University of Rochester, for example, says it considers all applicants for merit scholarships regardless of citizenship. Most merit awards are partial, so check what is left to pay.
Can I get need-based and merit aid at the same university?
Sometimes. Some universities add need-based aid on top of a merit award when your need is larger. Others reduce need-based aid when you win an outside or merit award. Ask each aid office how it combines them.