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About National Merit Scholarship CorporationNational Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) was established in 1955�a time in which there was concern that the United States was lagging behind in the cold war scientific race, but the public was indifferent to rewarding intellectual accomplishment. In response, the National Merit Scholarship Program was founded to identify and honor scholastically talented American youth and to encourage them to develop their abilities to the fullest. Through this nationwide competition National Merit Scholarships are awarded to program Finalists and Special Scholarships are awarded to other high performing participants who meet a corporate sponsor's eligibility criteria. In 1964, contemporaneously with the passage of the Civil Rights Act, the National Achievement Scholarship Program was initiated specifically to identify academically promising Black American youth and encourage their pursuit of higher education. With the conclusion of the 2015 program, the National Achievement Scholarship Program transitioned to UNCF. Approximately 228,000 students have been recognized in the program and about 34,300 were chosen to receive Achievement Scholarship awards.
| Program Year |
Student Entrants |
Participating High Schools |
| 1956 |
58,158 |
10,388 |
|
| 1965 |
806,991 |
17,162 |
|
| 1975 |
1,021,212 |
17,299 |
|
| 1985 |
1,115,038 |
19,000 |
|
| 1995 |
1,127,842 |
19,450 |
|
| 2005 |
1,328,038 |
20,801 |
For more than half a century, NMSC has continued to focus its attention solely on U.S. high school students at the uppermost end of the academic ability scale.
- NMSC's mission to promote scholastic excellence and recognize students who exemplify it is still perceived to be of considerable value to the nation.
- The competition is very rigorous; scholarship winners are chosen based on their abilities, skills, extracurricular accomplishments, and potential for success in college and beyond.
- NMSC operates without government assistance and relies on an independent base of support�approximately 440 loyal sponsors who underwrite the majority of the scholarships.
- Services have evolved to meet program purposes and the needs of participating high schools, colleges and universities attended by award recipients, and the scholarship sponsors whose generosity enhances the opportunities of honored students.
NMSC Scrolling Timeline |
and the names National Merit, Merit Scholarship, Merit Scholar, National Achievement, Achievement Scholarship, and Achievement Scholar are federally registered service marks of National Merit Scholarship Corporation. PSAT/NMSQT is a registered trademark of National Merit Scholarship Corporation and the College Board.