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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 Balkans 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 80% of annual tuition reaching up to €5,500 for the academic year 2006/07. Awards may involve work-study assignments ranging up to 20 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 2006/07:
| Merit Award |
Greece |
Albania |
FYROM |
Bulgaria |
USA |
| Fellowship |
19 (20) |
9 (10) |
4.5 (5) |
5.5 (6) |
3.8 (4) |
| Leadership |
17.5 |
8.5 |
4.25 |
5 |
3.6 |
| Scholar |
16 |
8 |
4.0 |
4.75 |
3.4 |
| Honors |
14 |
7.5 |
3.75 |
4.5 |
3.2 |
*If your country of origin is not listed, please contact ACT's enrollment management office.
*Since in some cases, the grades shown above are cumulative averages (e.g. in FYROM it is the average of the 4 years of high school) while in others they are simply the average grade for the candidate's last high school year, it is advisable to contact ACT's enrollment management office to obtain details. Note that for Greece, the grades indicated are the "βαθμος προσβασης".
Merit aid awards are only available to incoming Freshmen (1st year students) who enroll on a full time basis (minimum 15 semester credits) beginning with the 2006/07 academic year.
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 '06 for the '06/'07 academic year).
It is important to clarify that purely academic performance 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 the admissions 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 range and the number of awards available for each level for the '06/'07 academic year are outlined below:
| Merit Award |
Minimum Award |
Award Range |
| Fellowship |
80% |
80% |
| Leadership |
50% |
50% - 75% |
| Scholar |
30% |
30% - 45% |
| Honors |
10% |
10% - 25% |
Since some 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 4 years / 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 |
3.8 |
| Leadership |
3.6 |
| Scholar |
3.4 |
| Honors |
3.2 |
*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.
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 2 weeks (the notice will contain a specific deadline and precise instructions). If the candidate accepts the award, a non-refundable deposit of €690 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.
Investing in your education at the American College of Thessaloniki is a substantial endeavor. The merit awards program outlined above is intended to reduce the burden of such an investment and to reward your academic achievement and leadership potential. We hope you’ll be among the applicants that will meet these stringent requirements; and we hope to see you on our campus soon.
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