Do colleges give merit scholarships to transfer students?

I've heard mixed things about merit scholarships for transfer students. Does anyone know if colleges usually offer merit-based scholarships to transfer students, or is it more common for freshman admissions?

The availability of merit scholarships for transfer students can vary significantly from one institution to another. Some colleges do indeed offer merit-based scholarships for transfer students, while others dedicate most of their merit-based funding to incoming freshmen. It's important to note that, generally, the pool of merit scholarships available to transfer students tends to be smaller than that for first-year applicants.

However, there are definitely scholarships out there specifically targeted towards transfer students. For instance, some colleges have established scholarships for students transferring from local or in-state community colleges as part of their commitment to accessibility and promoting education at all levels.

Your best course of action would be to research individual colleges' financial aid and scholarships pages, and even reach out to the financial aid office directly for in-depth information. They will be able to provide the most accurate and updated details about the college's financial policies regarding transfer students.

Moreover, don't forget to explore external scholarship opportunities. There are many organizations and foundations that offer scholarships to students based on various criteria not tied to their status as either a freshman or transfer applicant.

In general, while it may be a bit more of a challenge than for entering freshmen, there are definitely merit scholarship opportunities for transfer students. It just might involve a bit more digging to find them.