We've focused on institutions in our coverage universe that are particularly generous with merit aid—including those offering full tuition or full cost of attendance—and provided a brief summary of the package, whether it's competitive, and a link to each institution's website for the details. There's a good mix of public and private institutions, and in the case of public institutions, packages are often available for non-residents as well as residents.
The list isn't exhaustive but should provide you an excellent start—enjoy!
Great Scholarships for National Merit Finalists
College Kickstart LLC
Institution
Total Coverage (4 years)
Link
Abilene Christian University
Full tuition + $6,000 stipend
Boston University
$80,000
Brigham Young University - Provo
Full tuition, limited availability
Florida Atlantic University
Cost of attendance, regardless of residency
Florida State University
Cost of attendance ($80,000+), guaranteed admission to University Honors Program
Fordham University
Full tuition with A/A- average and top 2-3% of admitted students, competitive
Gustavus Adolphus College
$30,000+, full tuition for 10 candidates
Hope College
$88,000
Illinois Wesleyan University
Up to three scholarships up to $160,000; $16,000 otherwise
Iowa State University
Full tuition for residents, varies for non-residents
Linfield College
Half to full tuition depending on need
Loyola University Chicago
Full tuition for one student, $8,000 if not selected
Montana State University
$6,000 - $18,000 for residents, $10,000 - $66,000 for non-residents plus guaranteed admission to MSU Honors College, guaranteed placement in honors housing and priority course registration; limit of 10 awards per year
New College of Florida
Cost of attendance for those qualifying for the Benacquisto Scholarship
New Jersey Institute of Technology
Full tuition and fees
Northeastern University
Competitive merit-based award
Northern Arizona University
Full tuition plus $2,000 stipend, automatic entry into Honors College
Oklahoma State University
Five year full tuition waiver ($67,800 for residents, $145,400 for non-residents)
Texas A&M University
$42,000 for residents, approximately $100,000 for non-residents due to out-of-state tuition waver
Texas Tech University
Cost of attendance
University of Alabama
Full tuition up to 5 years, four years of on-campus housing, $14,000 stipend, $2,000 allowance for research or study abroad, $1,000 technology enrichment allowance
University of Arizona
$72,000 (full tuition plus) + $1,500 for study abroad for residents, varies for non-residents + $1,500 for study abroad depending on GPA and test scores
University of Arkansas
$40,000
University of Central Florida
Cost of attendance, guaranteed admission to LEAD Scholars Academy and Burnett Honors College, guaranteed housing and laptop computer
University of Cincinnati
Full in-state tuition, guaranteed admission to honors program and $1,500 on-time allocation towards purchase of computer, research or study abroad. 60 available, first-come, first-served
University of Dallas
Full tuition, limited to 10 students
University of Florida
Cost of attendance
University of Houston
Full cost of tuition/fees, + $1,000 research and $2,000 study abroad stipends ($47,000)
University of Idaho
Basic cost of attendance ($66,976 for residents, $137,520 for non-residents)
University of Kansas
$40,000 for residents
University of Kentucky
Full in-state or out-of-state tuition and housing stipend
University of Louisville
Full in-state tuition + $32,000 allowance for room, board and books or $80,000 for out-of-state students
University of Maine
Full tuition and most fees
University of Miami
Cost of attendance (for Florida residents only)
University of Minnesota
Up to $40,000, competitive
University of Minnesota - Morris
Full tuition
University of Mississippi
Full tuition + room ($54,776 for residents, $118,592 for non-residents)
University of Nebraska
Full tuition + $8,000
University of Nevada - Reno
Up to $64,000 + guaranteed admission to honors program
University of New Mexico
$75,212 for residents, $137,792 for non-residents + iPad
University of North Dakota
Full tuition/fee waiver for ND and MN residents
University of Oklahoma
$63,000 for residents, $116,000 for non-residents
University of Saint Thomas - MN
$40,000
University of South Carolina
$40,000 for residents, up to $104,000 with tuition reduction for non-residents
University of South Florida
Full cost of attendance, guaranteed admittance to honors college and on-campus housing
University of Southern California
Half-tuition, limited
University of Texas - Dallas
Full tuition/fees, $50,000 in stipends to cover other costs and study abroad, guaranteed admission to honors program ($101,000 for residents, $187,000 for non-residents)
University of Tulsa
Full tuition and basic room and board
Virginia Commonwealth University
Cost of tuition/fees + room and board ($114,356,000, competitive)
Washington State University
Full tuition ($47,000 for residents, $98,000 for non-residents) (competitive)
If you've been wondering how much merit aid is available for National Merit scholars, then check out our list of Colleges with Great Scholarships for National Merit Finalists.