College is expensive, and it’s not getting any cheaper. Which is why there are billions of dollars in merit-based grants and scholarships available. Doing well on your SAT and ACT can increase your eligibility for these awards from schools, states, and private companies.

College scholarships

Hundreds of public and private colleges and universities offer merit scholarships based on students’ standardized test scores. Higher SAT and ACT scores not only increase your chances of getting accepted, but can also increase the amount of financial aid you’re eligible for. Depending on the school, students with good test scores can earn anywhere from a few thousand dollars to a full ride.

For example, at The University of Arizona, merit-based scholarships are offered to in-state and out-of-state residents based on GPA and SAT or ACT scores. If you’re an in-state resident with a minimum GPA of 3.25 and CR&M SAT scores of 1110, or ACT scores of 24 or higher, you could get a scholarship award of $2,000 or more per year. Out-of-state residents will receive a minimum scholarship award of $8,000 per year. Keep in mind, these are the minimum requirements — if you have higher test scores, you can receive even more financial aid, exceeding $13,000 per year.

At private institutions, such as Villanova University, the average merit scholarship is around $10,000 with a minimum SAT score of 1310 or ACT score of 30. At Emory University, the average merit scholarship is about $21,000 for a minimum SAT score of 1365 or ACT score of 31. A simple Google search for your top college choices along with the search term “merit scholarships” will generate useful and money-saving results.

State scholarships

Many states across the country also offer scholarships based on SAT and ACT scores. Louisiana, for example, offers the TOPS Performance Award and the TOPS Honors Award for students who score at least 23 or 27 on the ACT. Missouri’s Bright Flight Program offers $3,000 to students scoring in the top 3 percent of the state on the SATs or ACTs. So definitely check out your state’s education department website to see if it offers similar merit scholarships.

Private Scholarships

One of the most famous and prestigious private scholarships is the National Merit Scholarship Program, which requires students to score in the top 1 percent nationally on the PSAT. Even though the PSAT is practice for the real SAT, it counts for a lot.

Many private merit-based scholarships are specific to students’ backgrounds or areas of interest. Search the Internet, use personalized scholarship matching tools like UNIGO’s Scholarship Match, and get yourself some private merit scholarships for college!

Invest in your future — register for LI Regents Prep’s SAT and ACT Review Classes to raise your SAT and ACT scores.

A different version of this article first appeared at Unigo.com. 

Long Island Regents Prep is excited to be participating in the Suffolk Spring College Fair, sponsored by Western Suffolk Counselors’ Association. The College Fair will take place on Monday, May 5, 2014,  from 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM. Students will be able to visit representatives from dozens of colleges and register for SAT and Regents review courses offered by Long Island Regents Prep. In addition, we’ll be offering on-site registration discounts and raffling off a free SAT Crash Course and Regents Review Course!  Please stop by our booth to find out more about our courses! Here are the details:

Suffolk Spring College Fair
Monday, May 5, 2014
5:30 PM – 8:30 PM

Huntington Hilton Hotel, Melville NY

Directions: Take Long Island Expressway East to Exit 49S (Rte 110 South / Broadhollow Rd.) Turn Right at end of ramp onto Rt. 110 S / Broadhollow Road. Proceed 2 miles to the corner of Spagnoli Rd and Broadhollow Rd and the hotel is on the right.

It’s easy to get carried away with SAT test preparation, and it’s not unusual for a typical family to spend over $1000 per child on SAT review. So, is it worth it? In other words, do costly tutors, review books, and review classes result in better test scores and, thus, admission into elite colleges? This question is difficult to answer.

The best research indicates that “test preparation efforts yield a positive but small effect on standardized admission test scores,” according to a report released in 2009 by the National Association for College Admission Counseling. In fact, although many of the best-known test prep companies (e.g., Kaplan, Princeton Review, and Sylvan Learning) claim to increase test scores by over 100 points, the “average gains are more in the neighborhood of 30 points.”

The College Board, which creates the SAT exams, has conducted its own research, which shows that test preparation courses offer limited benefit. In fact, Laurence Bunin, senior vice president for the College Board, “recommends free and low-cost College Board Materials, including a $22 study guide,” according to the Wall Street Journal.

Moreover, SAT prep companies like Kaplan and Princetown Review reap billions of dollars in profits annually, while charging students thousands of dollars to enroll in their comprehensive review courses. This may put students from lower-income families at a disadvantage. According to a Washington Post survey, students who come from families earning over $200,000 a year have an average SAT score of 1714, while students whose families make less than $20,000 a year have an average score of 1326.

Unfortunately, these figures sometimes force families to spend beyond their means in hope of sending their kids to better colleges, and the results can be disheartening. According to long-time SAT tutor Allison Kade, expensive SAT tutoring and review courses aren’t for everyone. She says, “you may not need to fork over tons of cash for test prep if: 1) Your kid is extremely self-motivated, already understands all the core concepts and has been successful with self-study for other standardized tests like AP exams or the PSAT; 2) Your kid doesn’t care, won’t put in the work and will potentially be a distraction to the rest of the kids taking the test.” On the other hand, she writes, you may want to spend a few bucks if “your kid cares about her score, but may not be self-motivated enough to do the studying on her own; your teen is a nervous test-taker…; or your child is struggling with core concepts and would benefit from extra help.”

But there is an alternative to the expensive tutors and review courses. Long Island Regents Prep, a teacher-owned and -operated company, offers one-day SAT Crash Courses the weekend before each SAT Reasoning Test. These courses, held at Farmingdale State College, offer students confidence, skills, knowledge, and strategies they need to excel on their SATs, all at a fraction of the cost of tutors and other courses. For more information and to register for upcoming classes, visit liregentsprep.com.

Over the years, many students and parents have asked us why we don’t offer SAT and ACT review courses.  The answer is pretty simple.  As full-time high school teachers, we work with the New York State Regents material everyday.  So we focus on what we’re good at: we take the Regents course content and skills that we teach throughout the school year and create intensive, one-shot, six-hour review sessions.  We leave the SAT/ACT prep to those who specialize in that type of tutoring.  That being said, if you’re looking for a local, experienced tutor and are not interested in wasting thousands of dollars on Kaplan or Princeton Review, then check out these Long Island companies:

SAT, ACT, and GRE Tutoring with Mr. Eisenberg – Jeffrey Eisenberg has been tutoring students for over 20 years.  In addition, he is a social studies teacher at East Meadow High School.  Jeff says, “I help students in Long Island to succeed on the SAT, ACT, and GRE and work with students to demystify the exam, lower stress levels, and apply real-world strategies for mastering the test.  Students who embrace my techniques and practice them as assigned typically improve their scores significantly.  I look forward to discussing with you how we can work together towards this goal.”  Visit his site at www.longislandtestprep.com.