FAIRFIELD, CT — The National Merit Scholarship Corporation has announced the first group of winners in the 71st annual National Merit Scholarship Program, naming about 700 high school seniors who received corporate-sponsored awards. Included among this first group of winners is a Fairfield Ludlowe High School student.
The scholarships are financed by roughly 115 corporations, company foundations and other business organizations, along with several foundations and individual donors that have established endowments with the organization.
In Fairfield, Nishka Desai, whose probable career field will be Environmental Policy, was awarded the National Merit Pepsico Foundation Scholarship.
According to the NMSC, The PepsiCo Foundation was established in 1962, and is the philanthropic anchor of PepsiCo, responsible for providing charitable contributions to eligible nonprofit organizations. The Foundation is committed to developing sustainable partnerships and programs in underserved regions that provide opportunities for improved health, environment and education.
Recipients of corporate-sponsored awards were selected from students who advanced to the Finalist level of the competition and met criteria set by the sponsoring organizations. Corporate sponsors fund awards for finalists who are children of employees, live in communities served by the company, or plan to pursue fields of study or careers the sponsors aim to support.
Most of the scholarships are renewable for up to four years of undergraduate study and provide annual stipends ranging from $1,000 to $10,000. Some awards are one-time payments between $2,500 and $10,000. Students may use the scholarships at any regionally accredited college or university in the United States.
Corporate sponsors, representing a broad range of industries, have supported the program since its inception. According to the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, they have committed or spent more than $892 million across all 71 competitions to support high-achieving students.
The corporate-sponsored award winners are the first group of National Merit Scholars in 2026, according to the by National Merit Scholarship Corporation. In the coming weeks, the NMSC will name recipients of National Merit® $2500 Scholarships (May 13), and winners of college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards (June 3 and July 13).
By the conclusion of this year’s competition, about 6,700 academic champions will have won National Merit Scholarships worth approximately $24 million, officials said.
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