National Merit Scholarship Program
National Merit Scholarship Corporation
Award: $2500 – $2500
Deadline: 2026-10-01
To award for outstanding students who are not Finalists in the Merit Scholarship competition. Qualifications: Applicants must be high-performing program participants (although not finalists) who meet a sponsor’s criteria; most are for: children of employees; or residents of specific communities. Selection criteria: Selection will be based on NMSCs professional staff; and evaluating substantial amounts of information about finalists obtained from both students and their high schools; included are the finalists academic record (course load and difficulty level, depth and breadth of subjects studied, and grades earned); PSAT/NMSQT® scores; the student’s essay; demonstrated leadership and contributions to school and community activities; and the school officials written recommendation and characterization of the finalist. How to apply: Applicants must submit online application. Focus: General studies/Field of study not specified.