5 Central Bucks Students Win Corporate-Sponsored National Merit Scholarship

The National Merit Scholarship Corporation has released the names of the first group of winners in the 61st annual National Merit Scholarship Program, and several local students are on the list.

Five Central Bucks students were named as winners of corporate-sponsored National Merit Scholarships.

The local winners include:

• James A. Boulton, Central Bucks West, National Merit Air Products Scholarship
• Katherine E. Xu, Central Bucks East, National Merit Janssen Supply Chain Scholarship
• Kevin Y. Liu, Central Bucks East, National Merit Bristol-Myers Squibb Company Scholarship
• Casey Zhang, Central Bucks East, National Merit Bristol-Myers Squibb Company Scholarship
• Jeffrey Zhang, Central Bucks East, National Merit Bristol-Myers Squibb Company Scholarship

More than 1,000 distinguished high school seniors won corporate-sponsored National Merit Scholarship awards, financed by about 200 corporations, company foundations, and other business organizations, according to a news release.

Scholars were selected from students who advanced to the finalist level in the National Merit Scholarship competition and met the criteria established by their scholarship sponsors.

Most of the awards are renewable for up to four years of college undergraduate study and provide annual stipends that range from $500 to $10,000 per year. Some provide a single payment between $2,500 and $5,000.

Recipients can use their awards at any regionally accredited U.S. college or university of their choice.

NMSC will name recipients of National Merit $2500 Scholarships on May 11 and winners of college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards on June 1 and July 18.