|
|
|
The Philosophy Behind Merit Aid
ACT strives to be not only the 1st choice, but also an affordable choice for the education of youth from Greece, the Southeast Europe, US and beyond. To that end, the university awards “merit aid” to a substantial number of students in each entering class. Merit aid awards recognize and reward a student’s academic accomplishments and potential. They are strictly designed to provide the means and opportunity for students that are academically strong and otherwise qualified to afford the high quality college education available at ACT.
Guidelines and Requirements
Merit aid awards cover up to 85% of annual tuition. Awards may involve work-study assignments ranging up to 4 hours per week while the student is enrolled in a degree seeking program. All admitted students are automatically considered for such awards on the basis of the strength of the candidate's application for admission. There are no additional forms or applications to submit.
Merit aid awards are not based on financial need. To be considered for a merit award, candidates must meet minimum academic requirements that vary depending on the applicant’s country of origin and its secondary education evaluation/grading scheme. The table below shows the minimum requirements and the correspondent awards for the academic year 2009/10 (applicable from spring 2009):
| Merit Award |
Greece |
Albania |
FYROM |
Bulgaria |
USA |
| Fellowship |
18 (20) |
9 (10) |
4.5 (5) |
5.4 (6) |
3.7 (4) |
| Leadership |
17 |
8.5 |
4.25 |
5 |
3.4 |
| Scholar |
16 |
8 |
4.0 |
4.8 |
3.2 |
| Honors |
14 |
7 |
3.5 |
4.2 |
3.0 |
*The countries listed are indicative. If a country of origin is not listed, please contact ACT's enrollment management office.
Merit aid awards are available to incoming Freshmen (1st year students) who enroll on a full time basis (minimum 12 semester credits) beginning with the 2009/10 academic year (applicable from spring 2009):
The minimum requirements to qualify for each award level as well as the aid corresponding to each award level and the number of awards available are set annually at the beginning of each calendar year for the upcoming academic year (Jan '09 for the '09/'10 academic year).
It is important to clarify that academic performance alone only qualifies students for the minimum aid associated with an award. The amount of the aid may then be adjusted within the range permitted for each award level based on various other criteria that the merit aid committee will evaluate. These may include English language aptitude, the quality and content of the required written essay, academic performance in specific courses or fields of study, demonstrated aptitude or enrolment in a particular field of study, demonstrated quantity and quality of the student’s involvement, leadership roles and any honors received in school or community activities, and academic and other recommendations.
The guaranteed minimum award for each award level, along with the award ranges (as a % of annual tuition) are outlined below:
| Merit Award |
Award Range Min-Max |
Minimum Award |
| Fellowship |
70% - 85-% |
70% |
| Leadership |
45% - 65% |
45% |
| Scholar |
25% - 40% |
25% |
| Honors |
10% - 20% |
10% |
Merit aid awards are also available to transfer students who enrol on a full time basis (minimum 12 semester credits) effective with the 2009/10 academic year, even though priority will be given in any case to freshman students.
For a transfer student to qualify for a merit aid award he/she should have completed at least 12 credits at the previous institution and have a minimum GPA of 3.00 (B). If the applicant has completed less than 12 credits then both his college GPA and high school performance will constitute criteria in making an award.
It must be emphasized that awards are limited in number, and since awards are offered on a rolling basis as candidates apply and are admitted, it is advisable to apply the earliest possible.
Merit Award Renewal
Merit awards are renewable annually up to a maximum 8 semesters provided that a student maintains the required minimum academic performance and a full time academic workload. The performance levels required to maintain each award are shown below:
| Merit Award |
Required
Cumulative GPA |
| Fellowship |
3.6 |
| Leadership |
3.4 |
| Scholar |
3.2 |
| Honors |
3.0 |
*Please note: Award holders who do not maintain the required cumulative GPA for their award level will automatically be moved to the level corresponding to their cumulative GPA, and cannot be readjusted to the previous level. If the GPA drops below 3.0, the award is removed. Once an ward is lost it cannot be regained. The merit-aid committee meets twice per academic year (at the end of each semester) and reviews the awards on the basis of achieved academic performance.
Deadlines and Award Acceptance Procedure
To be considered for a merit award, a student’s application for admission must be received within the defined application deadlines for admission. As indicated previously, there is no need to submit a separate application for merit aid. Applicants requesting need-based financial aid must complete the separate financial aid application procedures as required. Notification regarding merit-based aid will be made along with the notice of admission, typically within 2 weeks from receipt of all required application materials. Once notified of an award, and admission, the candidate must formally “accept” the award within the specified period that depends on the time of application (the notice will contain a specific deadline and precise instructions). If the candidate accepts the award, a non-refundable deposit (usually equal to the cost of a 3 credit course) to the school’s accounts must be made within that same timeframe to assure that the monies awarded and the enrolment slot are “reserved” for the candidate.
Click here to donwload the 2010 Scholarship Brochure.
|
|
