Commissioner Stewart Commends Florida Students on Being Named National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists
September 9, 2015
DOE Press Office
850-245-0413
Commissioner Stewart Commends Florida Students on Being Named National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists
Tallahassee, Fla., September 9, 2015 – Today, hundreds of high school students throughout Florida joined approximately 16,000 students nationwide as semifinalists for the 2016 National Merit Scholarship Program. National Merit Scholarship Corporation officials recognized high school seniors with the highest scores on the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test who met program requirements. Semifinalists are now eligible to compete for one of 7,400 National Merit Scholarships totaling more than $32 million.
Commissioner of Education Pam Stewart said, “I am very proud of our students for being nominated as National Merit semifinalists. This is a testament to the hard work of our state's educators who help unlock the potential that lies within our students. As schools around the state are settling in to a new school year, I hope the success of these students will help motivate all of our students to do their very best.”
To be considered for a Merit Scholarship Award, semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to become a finalist. The semifinalist and his or her school must submit a detailed scholarship application that includes the student's academic record throughout high school, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, and honors and awards received. The student must also be endorsed and recommended by a high school official, write an essay and earn an SAT score that confirms the earlier performance on the qualifying test. Finalists are selected based on exceptional skills, accomplishments and potential for success in rigorous college studies.
The National Merit Scholarship Corporation is a not-for-profit organization established in 1955 to conduct the National Merit Scholarship Program. The scholarships honor the nation's scholastic champions and encourage the pursuit of academic excellence.
The list of Florida’s National Merit Scholarship semifinalists can be found at http://www.fldoe.org/core/fileparse.php/5306/urlt/16FLSemifinalNatlMeritProgram.pdf.
For more information about the program, visit National Merit Scholarship Corporation.
Read More News...