 
 <prompt> ```Colleges dey look again at value of merit-based aid

Good grades and high tests scores still dey important--plenty--to many colleges as dem dey give financial aid. 

But as low-income students dey expected to make up a bigger part of the college-bound population for future years, some schools dey look again whether that aid, wey dem dey call "merit aid", na the best use of the scarce institutional money. 

George Washington University for Washington, D.C., for example, talk last week say dem go reduce the value of their average merit scholarships by about one-third and reduce the number of recipients, put the savings, about $2.5 million, into need-based aid. Allegheny College for Meadville, Pa., make similar decision three years ago. 

Now, Hamilton College for Clinton, N.Y., talk say dem go phase out merit scholarships completely. No current merit-aid recipients go lose their scholarships, but need-based aid alone go dey awarded beginning with students wey dey enter for fall 2008. 

Not all colleges dey offer merit aid; generally, the more selective a school, the less likely say dem go do am. Harvard and Princeton, for example, dey offer generous need-based packages, but many families wey no meet need eligibility dey willing to pay any amount for big-name school. 

For small regional colleges wey dey struggle to fill seats, merit aid fit be important revenue-builder because many recipients still dey pay enough tuition money on top the scholarship amount to keep the institution running. 

But for rankings-conscious schools wey dey in between, merit aid don serve mainly as tool to recruit top students and to improve their academic profits. "Dem dey try to buy students," Sandy Baum, Skidmore College economist talk. 

Studies show say merit aid dey benefit disproportionately students wey fit afford to enroll without am. 

"As we dey look to the future, we dey see say we need to invest more for need-based aid," Monica Inzer, dean of admission and financial aid for Hamilton, wey don offer merit scholarships for 10 years talk. During that time, e rise for US News & World Report's ranking of the best liberal arts colleges, from 25 to 17. 

Merit aid, wey benefit about 75 students every year, or about 4% of its student body, at a cost of about $1 million every year, "don serve us well," Inzer talk, but "to dey reduce the price for families wey no need financial aid no dey feel right again." 

Need-based aid still dey by far the largest share of all student aid, wey include state, federal and institutional grants. But merit aid, wey dey offered mainly by schools and states, dey grow faster, both overall and for the institutional level. 

Between 1995-96 and 2003-04, institutional merit aid alone increase 212%, compared with 47% for need-based grants. At least 15 states also dey offer merit aid, typically to enroll top students for the state's public institutions. 

But for recent years, plenty critics don dey pressure schools to drop the practice. Recent decisions by Hamilton and others fit be "a sign say people dey start to realize say destructive competition dey go on," Baum, co-author of a recent College Report wey raise concerns about the role of institutional aid wey no dey based on need talk. 

David Laird, president of the Minnesota Private College Council, talk say many of hin schools go like reduce their merit aid but dem dey fear say if dem do am, dem go lose top students to their competitors. 

"No one fit take one-sided action," Laird talk, wey dey explore whether to seek an exemption from federal anti-trust laws so member colleges fit discuss how dem fit jointly reduce merit aid, "This na merry-go-round wey dey go very fast, and none of the institutions believe say dem fit sustain the risks of trying to break away by themselves." 

A complicating factor na say merit aid don dey very popular with middle-income families, wey no qualify for need-based aid, say many don dey depend on am. And, as tuitions dey continue to increase, the line between merit and need dey blur. 

That's one reason Allegheny College no plan to drop merit aid completely. 

"We still believe say to reward superior achievements dey important and we know say these top students truly value the scholarship," Scott Friedhoff, Allegheny's vice president for enrollment talk. 

Emory University for Atlanta, wey get $4.7 billion endowment, meanwhile, dey take another approach. This year, dem announce say dem go eliminate loans for needy students and cap am for middle-income families. At the same time, dem go expand their 28-year-old merit program. 

"Yeah, we dey play the merit game," Tom Lancaster, associate dean for undergraduate education acknowledge. But e get hin strong point, too, he talk. "The fact of the matter be say, e no just about the lowest-income people. Na the average American middle-class family wey dey priced out of the market." 

A few words about merit-based aid: 

Merit-based aid na aid wey dem offer to students wey achieve excellence for one area, and e generally dey known as academic, athletic and artistic merit scholarships. 

Academic merit scholarships dey based on students' grades, GPA and overall academic performance during high school. Dem dey typically meant for students wey dey go college straight after high school. However, scholarships dey for current college students wey get exceptional grades too. These merit scholarships usually help students pay tuition bills, and dem fit renew am every year as long as the recipients continue to qualify. For some cases, students fit need to be recommended by their school or a teacher as part of the qualification process. 

Athletic merit scholarships dey meant for students wey dey excel for sports of any kind, from football to track and field events. Recommendation for these scholarships dey required, since exceptional athletic performance gots to be recognized by a coach or a referee. Applicants gots to send in a tape wey contain their best performance. 

Artistic merit scholarships require say applicants gots to excel for a given artistic area. This generally include any creative field like art, design, fashion, music, dance or writing. Applying for artistic merit scholarships usually require say students submit a portfolio of some sort, whether e include a collection of artwork, a recording of a musical performance or a video of them dancing.``` <response>: 1. Wetin still dey important?
2. Na who dey give financial aid?
3. Wia GSU dey?
4. How much dem go put for account? 