School Heads to Nominate Seniors For 350 Ford Foundation Awards

Headmasters and principals of the nation's 25,000 secondary schools will soon nominate five percent of their senior classes to compete for 350 National Merit Scholarships, after receiving instructions yesterday from the Ford Foundation, administrator of the scholarships.

Additional grants from Time-Life, Inc., and the Seas Foundation have boosted the number of scholarships from 200 to 350. Eight million dollars of the original Ford Foundation grant was set aside to match such contributions from individuals and corporations.

The Ford program imitates the new General Motors Scholarships in this important respect: the winners will receive their awards solely on the basis of need, ranging from $100 to complete room, board, and tuition expenses for four years. John U. Monro '34, Director of Financial Aid, who has advocated a similar policy for several years, yesterday called the move "a very important extension of the idea of carefully shaping grants to needs."

The program's major innovation allows all contestants to take the screening test late next month entirely free of charge, and enables the semi-finalists to take the College Board aptitude test also free of charge.

This will enable many students to be "identified as scholarship prospects without any cost to themselves," Monro said since many colleges will undoubtedly be interested in the lists of contestants. At any rate, 800 runners-up will receive certificates of merit, in the expectation, that such distinction will enable them to get other scholarships.

Monro also foresaw increased interest in college careers when the secondary schools prod their promising students toward the national recognition of a Merit Scholarship.

After the winners have been chosen through aptitude tests and personal biographies, each boy or girl will be free to attend any accredited college in the United States for a full four years and to pursue whatever course of study interests him. The amount of his scholarship will depend on his need and on how much he can earn with term-time work.