list of colleges that give scholarships for PSAT scores?

[Lucy the Valiant]

I apologize, because I *KNOW* this has been asked before, but - I can't find it! 

Is there a list of colleges that offer (perhaps in-house) automatic scholarships based on PSAT scores? I think I remember reading that here somewhere, but - now I can't find it. Scholarships where the kids have to put the name of the school on the answer sheet on 11th grade PSAT test day? Separate from NMSQT?

 

[katilac]

Colleges usually won't even see PSAT scores, so I don't think so. I think putting the names of specific schools relates to earning National Merit; some schools offer very good scholarships for this, but only if the student lists them upfront. 

Lots of schools offer automatic merit for a mix of SAT/ACT and GPA. 

[Lori D.]

Separate from NNMQT, no. The automatic-qualifying scholarships tied to the PSAT are all for the PSAT-NMSQT for those who score at semi-finalist / finalist levels in 11th grade. From PSAT-NMSQT directly, this pdf lists colleges that offer scholarships to NM Finalists (pages 3-4), plus the corporate sponsors (pages 1-2) if you are a semi-finalist or finalist AND you have a parent working at one of those corporations. While it is probably at least 5 years old -- and NOT up-to-date! -- this list will at least give you a feel for what those automatic scholarships for PSAT-NMSQT finalists looks like.

There are scholarships awarded for ACT/SAT scores. Check out these lists at Scholarship.com website:  
Scholarships by ACT score
Scholarships by SAT score

Also for ACT/SAT scores, check out this list of Guaranteed Scholarships Based on ACT/SAT Scores at Prep Scholar website. And of course, go to the scholarship page on the websites of colleges you are interested in, as some of them list automatic scholarships for ACT/SAT scores.

[chiguirre]

There's also the College Board Recognition Program that recognizes high scorers who live in small communities or are Black, Hispanic or Indigenous. For this program, your student will get an email to provide their high school transcript and counselor's recommendation.

There are lists of colleges that give scholarships to these students on College Confidential. 

 

[Guest]

This year is a little odd because some of the schools that normally require ACT/SAT are allowing students to submit PSAT and PLAN (I think that's what it is called-the ACT equivalent) scores as part of their package. Usually this isn't for automatic scholarships, but to support GPA for admissions/scholarships. Some want an essay or interview beyond the usual requirements. I don't know how many of these changes will extend past the class of 2021, though. 

[plansrme]

There at least used to be someone on College Confidential (under the Financial Aid forum, Outside Scholarships, then National Merit) who maintained and updated a list of schools with automatic scholarships for anyone who reaches finalist status for a National Merit Scholarship and designates that school as her first choice school (first-choice designation is not required until fairly late in the process, I think spring of senior year). IF your student has a PSAT at or above the cutoff for semi-finalist status in your state, and IF she completes the finalist application, she is almost guaranteed to make NM finalist status. Therefore, a semi-finalist-qualifying PSAT score actually is all but a guarantee of any automatic scholarship offered to a NM finalist. Therefore, while the PSAT score itself is unlikely to automatically qualify a student for a scholarship, the semi-qualifying status it can bring will. And the automatic scholarships for semi-finalist status are where it's at for NM purposes. The NM scholarships themselves are not the real money any more, as the scholarship amount, $2,000/year, literally has not changed since at least since the mid-1980s. Anyway, you can noodle around at CC or elsewhere on the internet for a list of qualifying scores for your state and figure out whether your kiddo has a shot at qualifying for semi-finalist status. The cutoff varies from year to year, but not usually by a lot, so you can look at previous years' cutoffs for an idea.

[BusyMom5]

You don't have to put the college name in on test day- or even when you do the application for Finalist in October of Sr. year.  I can't remember the exact date, but it is Spring.  You just put Undecided, then keep working on college applications and other financial aid and you can wait and decide in April-ish or Sr. year.  I do not have a list, but the best ones I have found:

Florida Schools- they have an awesome deal- full Cost of Attendance!  Lots of choices of schools.

University of Alabama- Full tuition, dorm, and $3500  per year (toward food or other costs), and $2000 ($500 per year) for books

Several Texas schools have good options

There are a few other schools taht offer good scholarships, and keep sending us e-mails telling us to apply for more scholarships.  Unfortunately my DD doesn't think she wants to go 'that far' so we are hoping just the NMF will be enough to make her competitive for other scholarships within the schools she's looking at.   

 

[Lucy the Valiant]

Thank you, ALL! I have been watching & taking notes over the years, but this year still sort of sneaked up on me. This is exactly what I was looking for - kids taking test tomorrow, and feeling fairly well prepared, so we'll see. So much is "in flux" right now, but I do want them to have the scores if / since they have access to the test.