The National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) is an independent, not-for-profit organization established in 1955 that operates without government assistance. A sizeable number of Merit Scholarships will be underwritten by NMSC with its own funds, but the majority will be underwritten by approximately 600 independent corporate organizations and higher education institutions.

SCHOLARSHIP TYPES

National Merit Scholarship
Often referred to as the "National" National Merit Scholarship. This scholarship is a one-time award of $2500. Winners will be finalists in each state who are judged to have the strongest combination of abilities, achievements, and personal attributes. NMSC's own funds support most of these scholarships. Students receiving this Merit scholarship cannot be considered for a Corporate or College sponsored Merit Scholarship.

Corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship
Major corporations throughout the country underwrite these scholarships. These awards are usually provided for children of company employees, residents of communities served by the sponsor, or those in specific majors the sponsors are attempting to encourage. Some of these scholarships are nonrenewable, but most can be renewed for up to four years. These scholarships can range from $500 to $10,000 depending on the Corporate sponsor.

College-sponsored Merit Scholarship
Colleges and universities sponsor over 4,000 renewable awards. These awards can range from $500 to $2000, depending on need. Only Finalists who notify NMSC that a sponsor college is their first choice can be considered for one of these scholarships. Naturally, to be considered for a College-sponsored scholarship, the student must be admitted to that school. Not all colleges are College sponsors, and only 200 have agreed to sponsor Merit Scholarships.

Note: a finalist can receive only one type of National Merit scholarship (i.e. National, Corporate or College) for each qualifying student.

CATEGORIES OF RECOGNITION

High Scorers
These students took the PSAT that resulted in a Selection Index greater than a predetermined minimum. Approximately 50,000 high scorers are identified from one million students taking the PSAT. The Selection Index is a combination of the following PSAT scores: Verbal + Math + Writing Skills.

Semifinalists
This group contains the highest scorers in each of the 50 states and represents less than one percent of each state's high school seniors. The number named in each state is in proportion to its percentage of the national total of high school graduating seniors. This is done to ensure a fair representation from all parts of the United States. Approximately 16,000 semifinalists are selected from the list of High Scorers.

Finalists
To become a Finalist, several requirements must be met after being named a Semifinalist. These include meeting high academic standards in college preparatory course work, submitting SAT I scores, and being fully endorsed and recommended by the high school principal. In addition, an actual scholarship application must be completed. Approximately 90% of the Semifinalists advance to the Finalist level.

Merit Scholars
Approximately half of the Finalists will be offered a Merit Scholarship and receive Merit Scholar designation. These students can receive only one of the three different scholarships offered from NMSC. As described above, the three types of scholarships are: "National" National Merit, Corporate-sponsored, or College-sponsored.