me_irl

Yes, but social aspects will often still factor in to some extent, and universities also have a lot of freedom in how they select their recipients. I highly doubt that these kids are academically so exceptionally gifted that there aren't any other kids who would deserve it more and would make better use of this type of support. Scholarships don't have to function like bursaries, but there's a fair argument to limit them to kids whose parents aren't literal millionaires.