Basic Facts about the National Merit Scholarship Program

Knowing to Basic Facts about the National Merit Scholarship Program

The National Merit Scholarship Program is one of the two scholarship programs conducted by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC). This program is open to all high-school students all over the United States.

Looking for National Merit Scholarship Program

Students who are interested to join in the competition for the scholarships should meet the following requirements:

- have to be a full time high-school student and is planning to enroll as a full time college student immediately after graduation in high-school

- a United States citizen or permanent resident who has applied for or is planning to apply for US citizenship at the earliest possible time, or a non-US citizen who applied for permanent residency with the intention of becoming a citizen and has not been denied application

- have to take the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) at their school, in their junior year in high-school or 11th Grade. A home-schooled student can also avail as long as the test is taken at a local school or in a location approved by the NMSC.

Learning to National Merit Scholarship Program

Interested students are advised to inform their school's guidance councilor of their intention to participate in the competition for the National Merit Scholarship Program.

 

There are around 1.5 million entrants nationwide with only 50,000 selected who will then be eligible to become Semifinalists. These 50,000 are the ones who garnered top scores in the PSAT/NMSQT. About one/third of the 50,000 (around 16,000 students) will be chosen to be Semifinalists, these are the students who ranked highest among those who pass the tests from their state. Principals of the schools with Semifinalists will be notified and the qualified student needs to comply the additional requirements needed to be selected as Finalist. The student is also expected to maintain a high academic standing and be active in activities both in and out of school.

 

From the 16,000, 15,000 will be chosen as Finalists and will receive a Certificate of Merit as recognition in reaching the final stage. There will be 8,200 winners for the Merit Scholarship awards, who are found to have excelled in their achievements and skills.

 

Under the National Merit Scholarship Program, there there three Merit Scholarship awards that a successful Finalist can belong to: the National Merit $2,500 Scholarship, the Corporate-Sponsored Merit Scholarship and the College-sponsored Merit Scholarship.

 

The amount provided by the National Merit Scholarship Program will be used to pay for the scholar's undergraduate education in any college or university accredited by the accrediting commission on higher education.

 

National Merit Scholarship Corporation is the organization that facilitates the examination and selection process for the National Merit Scholarship Program. It is a non-profit, private organization which was established in 1955. NMSC is in partnership with multiple corporations and colleges. Currently, it has provided 360,000 scholarships to 2.9 million students. Information about NMSC and the National Merit Scholarship Program can be found in www. nationalmerit.org. National Merit Scholarship Program