Madison Student Named Among College-Sponsored Winners Of National Merit Scholarship

MADISON, CT — The National Merit Scholarship Corporation announced Wednesday that more than 2,500 students — including one from Madison — have received college-sponsored National Merit Scholarships as part of the 2026 National Merit Scholarship Program.

The scholarships, financed by participating colleges and universities, were awarded to National Merit Finalists who plan to attend the sponsoring institutions. Awards range from $500 to $2,000 annually for up to four years of undergraduate study at the sponsoring school.

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In Madison, Daniel Hand High School student Ellen Grace Bartholomew was awarded a National Merit Macalester College Scholarship. Bartholomew's probable career is Writing, according to the scholarship corporation.

Macalester College, St. Paul, Minnesota, is a highly selective liberal arts college of 1,800 students located in a comfortable neighborhood in the heart of the Twin Cities (Minneapolis-St. Paul). The college provides a challenging academic experience in a broad range of natural sciences, social sciences, arts, and humanities with a strong commitment to internationalism, multiculturalism, and community service. Students come from all 50 states and approximately 85 other countries.
— National Merit Scholarship Corporation

According to the corporation, an additional group of scholarship recipients will be announced in July, bringing the total number of college-sponsored Merit Scholarship winners in the 2026 competition to about 3,500.

This year, 138 colleges and universities are sponsoring Merit Scholarship awards through the program, including 69 private and 69 public institutions in 42 states and the District of Columbia.

The students announced Wednesday are among about 6,700 high school seniors expected to receive National Merit Scholarships for undergraduate study in 2026. Earlier this spring, the organization announced recipients of corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarships and National Merit $2500 Scholarships.

Students entered the 2026 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2024 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, which served as the initial screening process.

Last fall, more than 16,000 students were named Semifinalists based on their performance on the qualifying test. Semifinalists represented less than 1 percent of U.S. high school seniors and were selected on a state-by-state basis.

To advance to Finalist standing, students were required to submit an application that included an essay and information about extracurricular activities, awards and leadership roles. Applicants also needed a strong academic record, a recommendation from a school official and SAT or ACT scores that confirmed their qualifying test performance.

More than 15,000 students advanced to Finalist status. About half of those Finalists are expected to receive National Merit Scholarships in 2026.

The National Merit Scholarship Corporation, a nonprofit organization founded in 1955, administers the National Merit Scholarship Program. The organization says most scholarships awarded through the program are funded by approximately 300 corporate and college sponsors.