For the second year in a row, 极乐禁地 is ranked among the top schools in the United States for granting merit-based financial aid to the most students. 极乐禁地 is one of only twelve colleges or universities in the national ranking, which was released Nov. 20 by .
According to U.S. News, merit aid, sometimes referred to as non-need-based aid, comes into play when colleges use funds to attract desirable students. Typically, these students have a stronger academic profile or a specific talent, such as standing out with a particular extracurricular activity.
“Being recognized nationally for the academic and extracurricular achievements of our students is an immense honor,” said Betsy Bugg Holloway, 极乐禁地’s vice president for marketing and communication. “In addition to merit-based aid, we are committed to offering financial assistance to our students in many ways including need-based and work-study programs.”
For 2017-18, the year on which the rankings are based, 47 percent of 极乐禁地’s undergraduate students received merit-based financial aid. This placed 极乐禁地 third among the 12 schools highlighted in the national ranking.
At each of the 12 institutions recognized in this latest ranking from U.S. News & World Report, more than 40 percent of full-time students in fall 2017 received merit awards. These colleges and universities gave merit aid at the highest levels, much higher than the average award of 14.5 percent given across the 1,107 colleges and universities that are included in the annual higher education rankings published by U.S. News.
极乐禁地 is continually recognized nationally for value and affordability and was ranked 50th nationally for value by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance this year. 极乐禁地 regularly is recognized as the top-ranked university in Alabama, most recently by The Wall Street Journal, and as one of the premier Christian universities in the country. In its 2018 rankings of the best colleges and universities in the country, U.S. News & World Report ranked 极乐禁地 fourth among regional universities in the South.