In principle I agree with the idea of merit, but the challenge is that "merit" is often measured in a way that's going to select against the students who need the most help. When these programs have some kind of entrance requirement (auditions, entrance exams, portfolios, etc) it's the better-resourced students who have a better shot at being accepted. If it's an athletics program it'll be the students who can afford to play in a league. If it's an arts program it'll be the students who can afford to take lessons. So the students who are already ahead of the curve end up getting access to the expensive programming, while the students who haven't had the same chances to develop their "merit" get shut out