The National Merit Scholarship Program is an academic competition organized yearly among high school students for recognition and college scholarships that began in 1955. The program is administered by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC®), a nonprofit organization that operates without government assistance.
High school students in the United States participate in the National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the SAT National Merit Scholarship Prequalification Test (PSAT/NMSQT®), which serves as an initial screening of more than 1.3 million participants each year and meet the eligibility requirements Registration and participation published in the program.
National Merit Scholarship Overview:
- Level of Study: Higher education
- Location: United States
- Eligible: US Citizen, Permanent Resident.
- Scholarship type: Funded
- Scholarship value: Range by scholarship types below
- Focus Areas: Higher education programs
- Application Status: Open
Types of National Merit Scholarships
About 7,140 National Merit Scholarships of three types and about 740 special scholarships will be awarded in 2025; these 7,880 scholarships will have a combined value of more than $35 million.
$2,500 National Merit Scholarships
These scholarships are unique since each finalist is considered for one and the winners are called in each state and in other selection units. The number allocated in each state is determined by the same representation procedure used to determine the semifinalists. Finalists compete with all other finalists in their state or unit of selection for one of the $2,500 National Merit Scholarships. Recipients are selected by a committee consisting of college admissions officers and high school guidance counselors.
The $2,500 National Merit Scholarship makes a one-time payment of $2,500 available. NMSC’s own funds finance most of these scholarships, but corporate sponsors help underwrite these scholarships through grants they make to NMSC in lieu of paying administrative fees.
Corporate-sponsored scholarships
By 2023, approximately 160 businesses, corporate foundations and corporations will sponsor scholarships through the National Merit Program as part of their educational philanthropy. These sponsors have committed more than $13 million to support approximately 840 company-sponsored merit scholarships and 740 special scholarships for children of employees or other full-time students who meet the sponsor’s criteria. The number of National Merit Scholarships that a company or corporation offers each year can range from one to more than 100. Finalists who have met the sponsor’s criteria are identified through information provided by semifinalists in their applications. Purse winners are selected from this pool based on their skills, abilities, and achievements. The name of the scholarship usually identifies the donor, for example, XYZ Company Scholarship National Merit Scholarship.
More than two-thirds of the program’s corporate sponsors also offer special scholarships.
Registration forms are completed by students (and their parents, if applicable). If the number of finalists eligible for a sponsor’s awards is less than the number of awards the corporate organization wishes to offer, NMSC creates a pool of candidates to compete for the remaining awards (special scholarships). These candidates are the students with the highest scores who have submitted entry forms to the sponsoring organization but have not been named finalists. NMSC sends these candidates special scholarship application materials through their colleges.
Each corporate sponsor specifies the monetary limits of the scholarships it finances and decides whether the scholarships provide one-time payments or fixed, renewable stipends for up to four years of university study.
Merit Scholarships sponsored by Colleges
As part of the 2025 competition, approximately 3,800 National Merit Scholarships are expected to be awarded to finalists who plan to attend a sponsoring college or university. (See a list of approximately 160 colleges that currently sponsor merit scholarships, here.) A university-sponsored scholarship is renewable for a maximum of four years of undergraduate study at the sponsoring institution. this scholarship cannot be transferred; which therefore is forfeited if a winner does not attend the university that funds the scholarship. Officials from each sponsoring institution will select award winners from finalists who have been accepted for admission and have informed NMSC that the sponsoring college or university is their first choice.
Each university sponsors select annual scholarships that their institution offers to recipients, ranging from $500 to $2,000 per year. All recipients of college-sponsored scholarships at the institution will receive the same amount of scholarship as determined by the college.
Scholarship Worth:
$2,500 National Merit Scholarships offer a one-time payment of $2,500. NMSC’s own funds fund most of these scholarships, but corporate sponsors help provide these awards through grants they make to NMSC in lieu of paying administrative fees. Each corporate sponsor specifies the monetary limits of the scholarships it finances and decides whether the scholarships are paid as a one-time payment or as fixed scholarships renewable for a maximum of four years of university study.
Each sponsoring institution chooses the annual scholarship that their institution offers to scholarship recipients, ranging from $500 to $2,000 per year. All institution-sponsored scholarship recipients will receive the same amount of scholarship as determined by the institution.
Eligibility | Entry Requirements for National Merit Scholarship
student must be enrolled as a high school student (traditional or home school), make normal progress toward graduation or completion of high school by 2025, and plan to accept college admission no later than the end of autumn 2025;
attend high school in the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Nations and the territories of the United States; or meet the citizenship requirements for students attending high school outside the United States; And
take the 2023 PSAT/NMSQT during the designated high school curriculum year and no later than the third year of grades 9-12, regardless of school classification or educational model
For students attending high school outside the United States:
To be eligible for the National Merit Scholarship Program, a student attending a high school outside the United States must be a United States citizen; or be a lawful permanent resident of the United States (or have applied for permanent residence whose application has not been denied) and intend to become a permanent resident of the United States. A US citizen only permitted by law.
Eligibility Check:
The NMSC section of the PSAT/NMSQT score report shows the student’s answers to questions about entry requirements and whether the student’s Selection Index score will be considered for the national scholarship program. Students are encouraged to review this section of their results report carefully and contact NMSC immediately if any answers to their questions about entry requirements are incorrect or have changed
How to Apply:
For more information on National Merit Scholarship program, please visit the Official website
