Sponsorship

Scholarships awarded through National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) programs are regarded as some of the highest academic honors attainable by U.S. high school students. Last year NMSC awarded scholarships valued at over $51 million to more than 10,600 qualified students. Although NMSC underwrites more than a quarter of the scholarships with its own funds, most awards are provided by hundreds of independent sponsor organizations.

• Corporations sponsor scholarships to recognize and encourage academically talented students, foster loyalty among employees, initiate promising relationships between companies and students, and identify potential candidates for internships and employment.
• Colleges and universities eagerly seek to enroll scholastically able students who have outstanding potential for future leadership. Many institutions sponsor Merit Scholarship^® awards for Finalists who will attend their institutions.

Currently, some 300 corporations, company foundations and businesses and about 200 colleges and universities provide National Merit Scholarship Corporation scholarships. All funds provided to NMSC by sponsors are used for scholarships and are tax-deductible contributions.  back to top

Corporate Sponsorship

NMSC conducts scholarship programs for corporations, company foundations and other business organizations. Most corporate-sponsored awards are designated for children of a sponsor's employees or members. However, some are offered for residents of a community where a company has operations or for students with college major or career plans the sponsor wishes to encourage. NMSC services for sponsors include:

• providing sample promotional materials for publicizing the sponsor's scholarship program;
• identifying candidates who meet a sponsor's criteria and collecting applications;
• selecting scholarship winners from the candidate pool;
• assisting with Scholar announcements;
• providing certificates to present to Scholars;
• distributing scholarship payments to Scholars; and
• monitoring and reporting on the progress of Scholars toward their undergraduate degrees.

Each sponsor announces its program; collects entry forms from candidates (if applicable); confirms eligibility of award winners; and pays scholarship costs. Sponsors are billed annually for scholarship costs, which include stipend amounts paid to winners and nominal grants that are used to underwrite National $2500 Scholarships for which all Finalists are considered. These grants are provided to NMSC by the sponsor in lieu of paying administrative fees. Additionally, some sponsors recognize Scholars at a special event and/or in company publications.

The number of scholarships a company or business offers annually may range from one to more than 100. Within guidelines established by NMSC, corporate sponsors select the monetary limits of scholarships they finance. They also decide whether to offer awards that may be renewed for up to four years of undergraduate study (renewable scholarships) or one-time scholarships.

In the National Merit^® Scholarship Program companies and other business organizations annually underwrite some 1,100 corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship^® awards for Finalists and about 1,500 Special Scholarships for program participants who are outstanding but are not Finalists. Sponsors that provide Special Scholarships in addition to their Merit Scholarship awards are able to offer a fixed number of awards in each competition, even though the number of Finalists eligible for their awards varies from year to year. More than two-thirds of corporate sponsors use NMSC's services to complement their Merit Scholarship awards with Special Scholarships. A Special Scholarship candidate must meet a sponsor's criteria and file the sponsor's entry form, as well as meet entry requirements of the National Merit Program.

In the National Achievement^® Scholarship Program about 100 corporate-sponsored awards are provided yearly.  back to top

For more information about becoming a corporate sponsor and the benefits of sponsorship, click here.

NMSC corporate contact:
Nancy B. Krech
Director of Sponsor Services
(847) 866-5121

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College and University Sponsorship of Merit Scholarship^® awards

Each year colleges and universities support more than 4,600 Merit Scholarship awards for Finalists who have been admitted and will attend their institutions. Only Finalists who notify NMSC by the published deadlines of their plans to attend a sponsor institution are considered for college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards.

College-sponsored awards are renewable for up to four years of undergraduate study at the sponsor institution and provide stipends that range between $500 and $2,000 per year. Officials of each sponsor college select winners for their awards and determine the amount of the annual stipend within the specified range. College-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards are canceled if the winner decides not to attend the college financing the scholarship.

NMSC college contact:
Carolyn J. Collins
Director of Sponsor Services Operations
(847) 866-5100

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Page last updated January, 2008

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