AP Video on MeritAid.com
The video crew from the Associated Press recently visited the Cappex and MeritAid.com offices speak with President Chris Long.
MeritAid.com in the News
MeritAid.com created quite the buzz the last few weeks. A survey of MeritAid.com high school seniors revealed what they have to say about how the economic climate is affecting their college search. Many students are concerned about paying for college, but there is hope. MeritAid.com lists more than 77,000 scholarships from more than 1,700 colleges across the country. Merit scholarships can have a huge impact on the cost of attending college.
MeritAid.com was recently featured in:
Students Sound Off on Economy in New MeritAid.com Survey
Economic Crisis Now Blamed for Drastically Changing College Preferences, New Study Says
Many Students Delaying Higher Ed Due to Lack of Funds
Highland Park, IL, October 13, 2008 – A new study of over 2,500 prospective college students nationwide indicates that the economic downturn is dramatically affecting enrollment with many having to delay academic plans or set their sights on less prestigious colleges.
The study was conducted by MeritAid.com, a new, free Internet service that provides data on over 2,000 colleges and over $11 billion in merit scholarships nationwide. The students surveyed revealed some emerging trends resulting from skyrocketing tuition costs combined with the plummeting economy.
Among the findings of the MeritAid.com study:
- 16% of surveyed students said they are now putting their college searches on hold because they don’t think their families will be able to pay for college
- 57% said they are now considering a less prestigious college due to affordability
- 85% said they have increased time spent searching for scholarship money or merit aid programs to help pay for tuition, and just over half said they were depending on financial aid
- 48% said they are more concerned than ever about being able to afford any college at all
- 64% are very concerned about finding a job after college
- Some students said they were choosing a school close to home to save on fuel and housing costs, or changed their focus from a four-year college to a two-year college for financial reasons
“Financial fit has always been a major component of college fit. Now, financial fit is taking on even greater significance,” remarked Chris Long, COO and President of MeritAid.com. “Even if you are changing your college plans because of current conditions, know that there is a college out there that is right for you and that can fit into your budget.”
Introducing MeritAid.com!
AS COLLEGE TUITION COSTS SOAR, REVOLUTIONARY WEB SITE FOR FINDING MERIT SCHOLARSHIPS LAUNCHES
MeritAid.com Provides Students & Parents Easy Access to Billions of Dollars in Merit Aid from Colleges Across the U.S.
Highland Park, IL, September 22, 2008 – MeritAid.com (www.meritaid.com), the first web site to provide a central and comprehensive resource for matching students to merit scholarships from colleges, has officially launched. At no cost to the user, MeritAid.com is the only web site dedicated to giving parents and students access to information about the $11 billion available in merit aid from more than 1,800 colleges across the country.
The launch of this web site couldn’t be timelier with college tuition costs continuing to escalate – up 8% every year – as many Americans are struggling during these uncertain economic times. Merit scholarships can typically help reduce the cost of college tuition and fees from 25% to 50% and sometimes up to full tuition.
“By logging onto MeritAid.com, both college-bound students and their parents can access an enormous amount of scholarship information, saving countless hours of time calling or researching each college individually,” remarked Leon Heller, CEO of MeritAid.com. “We provide an organized and effective tool to help make one of the most important decisions in a person’s life.”
Best College Match Scholarship Winner
I know you’ve been waiting patiently to find out who will take home the Cappex Best College Match Scholarship. We won’t keep you any longer, the winner of the $1,000 college scholarship is:
Alison N., of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Alison is a lacrosse player and National Honor Society officer, but what really stood out was her essay. What makes a college a good match for Alison is a college with balance. She wants a school with sports and volunteer opportunities, tough academics and Greek life. Helping students find their college match is what Cappex is all about, so good luck with your search and congratulations, Alison! Thanks to everyone who applied.
Scholarship Winners: Third Time’s the Charm
We are set to announce the last four winners of our April-deadline college scholarships. Many thanks go to all of the talented applicants that made decision making so difficult. Also, thanks to all the patient folks who waited for us to post all the names.
Here they are:
Justin S. of Lawton, Okla., is the winner of the $2,000 Cappex Design Scholarship.
Breanne L. of Sanford, N.C., is the winner of the $1,000 Cappex Design Scholarship.
Josiah H. of Honolulu, Hawaii., is the winner of the $1,000 Cappex Video Game Design Scholarship.
Marjorie B. of Palmdale, Calif., is the winner of the $1,000 Cappex Criminal Justice Scholarship.
Congratulations to all the winners and good luck in your college careers!
Scholarship Winners Part 2
The college scholarship winners keep rolling in. Many congratulations go out to our next group of winners. They’ve all done lots of hard work to get where they are.
Doug V. of Yorkville, Ohio, is the winner of the $1,000 Cappex Business Careers Scholarship.
Jessica C. of Haskell, Okla., is the winner of the $2,000 Cappex Culinary Arts Scholarship.
Abigail B. of Elgin, S.C., is the winner of the $1,000 Cappex Culinary Arts Scholarship.
Ronak B. of West Cheste, Ohio, is the winner of the $1,000 Cappex Computer Careers Scholarship.
Congratulations everyone! We’ll announce the rest of the winners tomorrow.
Scholarship Winners Part 1
As promised, we have lots of college scholarship winners to announce. Because we have so many awards to pass out, 12 to be exact, the winners will be announced here over the next three days.
The first group of Cappex college scholarship winners are:
Lauren C. of Whiting, N.J., is the winner of the $1,000 Cappex Health Scholarship
Eboni M. of Temecula, Calif., is the winner of the $1,000 Cappex Fashion Scholarship
Leanna G. of San Juan, Texas is the winner of the $1,000 Cappex Photography Scholarship.
Jessica H. of Knoxville, Tenn., is the winner of the $1,000 Cappex Digital Media Production Scholarship.
Congratulations to Lauren, Eboni, Ronack and Jessica. We’ll be back tomorrow with four more winners.
New Feature: In-Depth College Admissions Advice
Over the last year, we’ve posted lots of helpful advice, tips and hints to help you get into the right college on Cappex. We recently brought you key activities to help you manage your college search with Cappex.com/tips. Now, we’re bringing you a library of college admissions articles providing you in-depth information.
At Cappex.com/resources we’ve created a collection of advice, lists and college insights. These articles cover every aspect of your college search. We explain admissions policies, help you plan your college visits and even give you inside advice on how to pay for college. You will find college lists that make it easy to find the most affordable private and public colleges in the country or look for colleges in your region.
All the articles give you the straight truth about college admissions. It’s the information you deserve in a way that’s easy to read. Check out the info we have up now, and then keep visiting. We’ll be adding new articles regularly.
