Erik Ness is Assistant Professor in the Department of Administrative and Policy Studies at the University of Pittsburgh.

This innovative book - the first to deepen the descriptive and conceptual understanding of the process by which states determine merit aid scholarship criteria - is crucial to understanding merit aid's success and failures at fulfilling the promise of education.

Part 1: Introduction to the Politics of Merit Aid 1. Deciding Who Earns Merit Aid: A Comparative Case Study Approach 2. Public Policy Frameworks: Advocacy Coalition, Multiple Streams, and Electoral Connection Part 2: Three Episodes of Criteria Determination 3. New Mexico Lottery Success Scholarship Program 4. West Virginia PROMISE Scholarship Program 5. Tennessee HOPE Scholarship Program Part 3: Analysis of and Implications for Education Policy 6. Comparative Case Analysis: Between Episodes and Across Frameworks 7. Conclusion: A Revised Model of Merit Aid Policy Formulation. Appendix A: Population of States with Merit-Based Financial Aid Programs. Appendix B: Interview Protocol. Appendix C: Analytic Framework