To qualify for a National Merit Scholarship, students begin by taking the PSAT exam. Student responses to the questions on the PSAT specific to the National Merit Scholarship Program (NMSP) will determine whether students will qualify. The PSAT will qualify roughly 50,000 of the 1.5 million students who take the exam. In April following the fall test, those students with high scores from each state will be invited to name two colleges that they would like the NMSP to notify of their status in the program. Roughly 34,000 of the 50,000 high-scoring students will receive Letters of Commendation based on their application. These students do not continue in the competition for the scholarship. The remaining participants will be notified in September that they have qualified as semifinalists from their state. To continue as a finalist, students must meet high academic standards. Students are awarded a minimum of $2,500 in a one-time scholarship.
This $10,000 cash grant is awarded by the United States Achievement Academy (USAA) Scholarship Foundation. This foundation works to help high-achieving students pursue their education beyond high school. Students are nominated by educators, and the awards are designated for educational purposes. To be considered, students must have a 3.0 GPA in the subject for which they are nominated and demonstrate leadership, cooperative classroom attitude and personal motivation for success.
The Coca-Cola Scholars Program awards 250 four-year, achievement-based scholarships to seniors in U.S. high schools. Students apply in the fall of their senior year. In April, finalists are invited to personal interviews in Atlanta. Fifty students are chosen as National Scholars and will receive $20,000 for college expenses. Two hundred students will be chosen as Regional Scholars and will receive $10,000 for college. To apply, students must be a U.S. citizen who is a current high school senior and is attending school in the U.S. They must be planning to attend an accredited U.S. post-secondary institution and carry a minimum 3.0 GPA by the end of their junior year.