Northbrook Student Wins College-Sponsored National Merit Scholarships

NORTHBROOK, IL — The National Merit Scholarship Corporation has announced more than 750 additional winners of college-sponsored National Merit Scholarships, including London Nari Troutman, of Northbrook.

Troutman, a student at Glenbrook North High School, has been awarded the National Merit Villanova University Scholarship. Troutman's probable career field is civil engineering.

Officials at each sponsoring college selected recipients from among National Merit Finalists who plan to attend their institution. The awards provide between $500 and $2,000 annually for up to four years of undergraduate study. This year, 138 colleges and universities are sponsoring more than 3,250 scholarships.

The latest announcement brings the total number of 2026 National Merit Scholars to about 6,500. Together, they will receive nearly $24 million in scholarships. The competition began with the 2024 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, and more than 15,000 students ultimately reached Finalist standing.

The National Merit Scholarship Corporation, founded in 1955, is a nonprofit organization that administers the program with support from corporate and college sponsors.