Admitted Student FAQ

Your merit scholarship is renewable for all 4 years as long as you maintain full time status, good academic standing, and there are no changes in your cost of attendance (changes made to your FAFSA, housing status, etc.). There is nothing you need to do to receive your scholarship each year; it automatically renews.

Your merit scholarship automatically renews as long as you remain a full time student, maintain good academic standing, and your cost of attendance does not change. Grants are associated with your FAFSA, so don’t forget to refile the FAFSA each year to maintain that aid. Grants are based on financial information on your FAFSA, so if that information changes it can affect your grant.

An outside scholarship is simply a scholarship that comes from outside the school or the government. A student must initiate applications for outside scholarships.

There are many resources available for additional outside scholarships. Touching base with your school counselor is a great way to see what your school and community may offer. Local rotary clubs, religious institutions, and parent employers may also have scholarship opportunities.

We do provide a list of some scholarships, as well as recommendations for scholarship databases on our website. 

Changing your housing status will therefore change your cost of attendance, which will affect your financial aid. Your financial aid counselor can help map out your various scenarios. Find your financial aid counselor in your applicant portal, under the financial aid tab.

Each student has their own dedicated financial aid counselor. You can find your financial aid counselor in your applicant portal, under the financial aid tab. We also offer virtual one on one financial aid consultations for more in-depth conversations, covering topics such as loan options, understanding your financial aid package, direct vs. indirect costs, and more.

Freshmen are typically housed in Ash Centre, Deegan Hall, or Monican Centre. Your room will have a bed, a set of drawers, a wardrobe (aka a closet), a desk and a chair. There are laundry facilities in all of these buildings, and laundry is FREE! Some buildings also have common areas featuring lounges, fireplaces, pool or ping pong tables.

All resident students are required to fill out a housing questionnaire which asks things like: are you a morning person or night owl? Are you clean or messy? Residence Life staff will then use your answers to match you up with someone compatible. You and another freshman can also request each other on the questionnaire, and Residence Life will honor mutual requests. You do not need to find a roommate, but some ways to do so are through the class facebook group or at an admitted student event. Merrimack’s Housing Questionnaire will be available to deposited students starting in April (it will be one of your new student MackTasks!)

We encourage you to contact Residence Life. They do their best to match you with someone in your cohort/class. You’ll also fill out a housing questionnaire as part of your new student Mack Tasks.

Merrimack responds to requests for housing accommodations based on medical, psychological and/or disability needs. To learn more, visit the Accessibility Services website. You and your family can also attend a 30 minute Accessibility Services Information Session offered weekly.

While housing is guaranteed all four years, living on campus is not required. Typically, about 15% of the freshman class are commuters and we have programming and support for you, too!

LLCs are encouraged but they are not required. LLCs are built-in communities in the residence halls, bringing together students who are in the same program(s) and/or who share similar interests. This makes it even easier to make friends, find study groups, and more. Our largest LLCs are iTEC for Science & Engineering majors, Honors, and Austin Scholars. While students cannot request specific buildings on their questionnaire, they can request a living learning community.

Your First Year Experience class (FYE) is designed to help you transition from high school to college. It’s taught by a professional staff/faculty member and an upperclassman student mentor. It’s pretty much your “Merrimack 101” course to get you started! You will also have the support of your personal success coach who will serve as your point person starting this summer and continuing throughout your time here.

Students typically take 4 classes a semester for 4 credits each. A typical first year schedule includes a combination of core graduation requirements along with introductory classes in your major courses. If you are undeclared, don’t worry. The Academic Success Center works with all students to craft a first year schedule that aligns with your interests.

College classes are definitely different than high school, and we can’t promise they won’t come without their challenges and stressors! But don’t worry, we’ve got your back. Merrimack is known for supporting students and making sure you have the tools and support you need to be successful in your first year. From tutoring and academic advising, to faculty office hours and study groups, and so much more, we’re ready to assist you at every step of the way.

If you want to! Earn college credit while exploring a new subject or challenge yourself by taking a tough subject pass/fail. All classes are hosted online. Learn more about the course offerings and registration details.

We’ll have various summer sessions available:

• Summer I: May 24 - July 2, 2021
• Summer II: July 12 - August 20, 2021
• Summer III: May 24 - August 20, 2021

Parking is available for resident students on a limited basis, and priority is given to seniors, students with disabilities and students with approved off-campus experiential-education placements. All commuter students are guaranteed on-campus parking. The parking application is also a new student MackTask and will be available in August.

Through Mobile Merrimack, all of our undergraduate students receive an iPad as a freshman and an updated iPad as a junior, allowing for extensive flexibility through a multitude of learning options in the classroom and online. It is your choice if you’d like to have another device, such as a laptop. All students also get over 1000 print credits a year to print out items in the library.

If you prefer to have both a computer and an iPad, Science & Engineering and Business somewhat prefer PC over Mac. For the other majors, there is no preference.

Email asc@merrimack.edu with any academic tech questions. Hold off on purchasing software, as Merrimack’s Student Software Store provides academic software at discounted prices, and sometimes free of charge.

There are a variety of meal plans for residents and commuters. Whether it is comfort food, sushi or a quick coffee, you have a variety of food options to satisfy your appetite. Our newest options include a Majors and Minors Eatery, McQuade Café and Pizzeria, and the Merrimack Food Truck. And don’t worry, no matter if you are a Dunkin or Starbucks lover, we have both on campus for you to order your favorite brew.

Students can utilize the Bite U app to make eating on campus easier. View menus at locations across campus, customize your order and avoid lines by ordering ahead of time.

Merrimack has also partnered with GrocersPod where students can order groceries (and other essentials) from Market Basket and have them delivered to campus.

Once you deposit, you will receive your Merrimack email address and more information about preparing for your first semester. View additional next steps at www.merrimack.edu/new-student.

The Office of Accessibility Services works closely with students with documented disabilities who may require reasonable accommodations with regard to academics, housing and medical-related parking. Learn more about the Accessibility Services Office and how to register for accommodations. Now is the time to connect and speak with us about the services that our office provides.

Please ensure your score reports or official transcripts with final grades are submitted electronically to Merrimack College by emailing admission@merrimack.edu. More information about the Transfer credit awarding process can be found on our Transfer Credit page. We encourage you to use the site to identify some of Merrimack’s current equivalencies for both College courses and Advanced credits. Once you deposit at Merrimack, you will then receive an official Transfer Credit Evaluation. This typically happens around June, before Orientation.