How should I compare merit scholarship offers from the University of Minnesota and Arizona State?

Choose the offer that produces the lower guaranteed four-year net price after renewal requirements, not the one with the larger first-year scholarship figure. At the University of Minnesota, compare the award against the cost for your specific campus and college; at Arizona State, make sure the award is applied to the correct campus and program, since costs and awards can differ by location. Treat any amount that is not explicitly renewable as a one-year benefit.

For each school, build a four-year worksheet using the official cost of attendance but separate direct bills from optional estimates. Start with tuition and required fees, then add university housing and dining for the years you expect to use them, health insurance if required, books, travel home, and likely personal expenses. Subtract only grants and scholarships that are guaranteed. Do not count loans, work-study, or a parent’s expected contribution as scholarship value.

Read the renewal language closely. Record the required GPA, enrollment level, credit completion standard, maximum number of semesters, and whether the scholarship amount stays fixed if tuition rises. A renewable award can be worth substantially more than a larger one-time award, but only if its academic conditions are realistic for you. Also check whether a change of major, campus, residency status, housing plan, or study-abroad term could affect eligibility.

Ask each financial-aid office for a written answer to one precise question: "Assuming I meet all renewal requirements, what will my institutional scholarship total be over eight semesters, and which charges can it be applied to?" Some awards apply only to tuition, while housing, fees, and other expenses still rise.

Finally, compare the remaining amount your family would actually need to pay each year and over four years. If the totals are close, give weight to academic fit, major-specific opportunities, climate and travel costs, and whether you can comfortably meet the scholarship’s renewal standard rather than stretching to preserve it.