National Merit Scholarship Program 2025/2026

Executive snapshot

The National Merit Scholarship Program for the 2025/2026 cycle continued the long-standing annual sequence of recognition and scholarship distribution organized by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC). The program’s public timeline runs from early fall test administration through a sequence of announcements and press releases that culminate in the spring and early summer scholarship rollouts. For the most current official information, NMSC maintains an authoritative homepage and regularly published press materials online. Learn more at the NMSC website.

2025/2026 timeline — key milestones and public announcements

The cycle that is commonly referred to as “2025/2026” centers on events that begin with the October PSAT/NMSQT administration in 2025 and extend through the finalists’ recognition and scholarship announcements in spring and summer 2026. NMSC publishes a sequence of press releases and blog updates to mark the release of semifinalist lists, finalist confirmations, and the staggered distribution of scholarship awards across national, corporate and college-sponsored categories. For a direct view of NMSC’s press release schedule and timing, see the corporation’s press page.

Important public dates tied to the 2025/2026 cycle include the October 2025 test administration, the September 2025 semifinalist notifications, the early February 2026 notifications to principals and students, and the rollout of scholarship announcements in the spring and early summer months. Many local news outlets publish community-level coverage as winners and award recipients are announced in waves.

Award categories and how they are presented publicly

Scholarship awards in the 2025/2026 window were grouped into several public categories that appear each year in NMSC communications: one-time national awards, corporate-sponsored awards, and college-sponsored awards. NMSC maintains descriptive summaries and sponsor leaflets with lists of institutional supporters and participating colleges. The college-sponsored awards in particular are often highlighted in press coverage because they tie scholarship recognition to prospective enrollment at a wide range of institutions. See the NMSC sponsor leaflet for a listing of institutions involved.

When NMSC announces award recipients, press releases and local school communications typically specify the type of award (for example, an institutional college-sponsored award versus a corporate-sponsored award) and often include short profiles or quotes from recipients and school officials. This public presentation helps communities celebrate local students and provides colleges a way to publicize incoming high-achieving applicants.

Scale and national footprint in 2025/2026

Each annual cycle reaches a wide audience: the program’s screening instrument is taken by over a million students across U.S. high schools, and from this pool a select set of students are highlighted over several announcement waves. NMSC publishes annual reports, informational leaflets, and program guides that quantify participation, the number of semifinalists and finalists, and the scale of scholarship awards as they are released. The public-facing documents and guides provide the figures commonly cited by local reporting.

Local school districts and regional news outlets often amplify NMSC’s national announcements with personalized stories about community recipients — a practice that both documents the program’s reach and underscores its visibility as a national-to-local recognition pipeline. Examples of such coverage in 2025 appeared in U.S. local news websites and school district announcements that summarized recipient names and the types of awards they received. 6

How announcements are released and amplified

NMSC distributes announcements in organized waves: semifinalist releases, finalist confirmations, and scholarship notifications. These releases are issued through the corporation’s website, a dedicated online scholarship application portal, and through emailed or mailed notices to schools and families. NMSC’s public press materials also include guidance for school public information officers about how press releases are shared with local outlets. For examples of the public distribution channels and guidance, the NMSC press page and press FAQ are available online.

Following national releases, community and regional media frequently produce human-interest pieces that profile recipients, the scholarships they received, and the institutions that sponsored awards. These local stories often appear in school district news items, regional newspapers, and university communications. The layered release strategy—national then local—amplifies recognition and gives communities multiple moments to celebrate student achievements. 8

Sponsor involvement and institutional partnerships

A distinctive element of the program is the combination of NMSC-funded awards and the contributions of corporate and collegiate sponsors. In the 2025/2026 cycle, NMSC published sponsor leaflets and lists that identify participating companies, foundations, and colleges that plan to fund awards. Many colleges use their participation to signal support for incoming students, and corporate sponsors often align awards with geographic regions or other sponsored priorities. NMSC’s sponsor materials catalogue the sponsoring entities for each year.

Public reports and local news stories often note which institutions are offering college-sponsored awards for that cycle and list students from their regions who were named recipients of those awards. These announcements form an important publicity channel for both the institutions and the program itself.

Local and national media snapshots from 2025/2026

Throughout the 2025 cycle, a number of local news outlets published profiles and school district posts about award recipients. Examples include university announcements of incoming students who received university-sponsored awards, county papers covering the achievements of area high school graduates, and local district web pages sharing lists of recognized students. These community stories add texture to the national announcements by highlighting intended college plans and students’ aspirations.

By publishing in multiple waves, the program keeps a continuous presence in regional press through the spring and early summer months, culminating with the final rounds of college-sponsored award lists. Local educators and families frequently repurpose and re-share NMSC’s official materials to ensure accurate reporting at the community level.

Program documentation available to the public

NMSC makes several public-facing documents available each year: program guides, informational leaflets for the current competition, sponsor lists, and press materials. These PDFs and webpages provide the official narrative and timeline for each cycle and are used by school communications offices and media to verify details for public reporting. For direct access to the informational leaflet and program guide referenced throughout the cycle, those materials are hosted on NMSC’s site.

In addition to PDFs, NMSC’s news and blog pages provide announcements and short-form summaries of award waves as they occur, offering a rolling chronicle of the competition’s public phases and named recipients. 14

Public data points and commonly reported figures

Throughout public reporting on the 2025/2026 cycle, journalists and school districts commonly cite participation numbers, the number of semifinalists and finalists announced, and the scale of scholarship awards distributed across categories. Those figures are reflected in NMSC materials and in the aggregate reporting produced after each announcement wave. For more detailed breakout and commentary on state-level reporting and expected representation, independent education analysts also publish their own state-by-state analyses each year.

The combination of NMSC documentation and external analysis provides both the official counts and contextual projections that local media and schools rely upon when they prepare community announcements.

Why the 2025/2026 cycle drew attention

Several factors contributed to the visibility of the 2025/2026 cycle: a steady flow of official announcements from NMSC, an active calendar of college-sponsored award releases, and notable local human-interest stories highlighting recipients entering a variety of academic fields. The cadence of multi-wave announcements kept the story in local and education news cycles over several months.

Additionally, independent outlets that analyze test-score trends and cutoffs published state-level reports and projections that many school PR teams referenced when preparing local communications  giving communities additional context about where their students fit within broader national patterns.

How communities and colleges used the announcements

Local school districts and colleges used NMSC’s schedule to highlight scholar recipients in district newsletters, local newspapers, and university admissions communications. Colleges that sponsor awards often include the announcement in admitted-student materials to welcome prospective students who have been publicly recognized. These practices extend the reach of NMSC’s announcements into recruitment and community-relations channels.

Where to find official program materials and updates

For official program news, timelines, and downloadable informational leaflets, the National Merit Scholarship Corporation’s website is the primary source. NMSC’s press page and document repository host the leaflets, the sponsor lists, and the public announcements that define each cycle. Independent education analysis sites also publish state-level commentary and cutoff projections that are frequently cited in local press. Below are a few direct resources embedded naturally within the narrative:
the NMSC homepage and press page, the informational leaflet for the relevant competition cycle, and third-party analysis that offers state-level context. NMSC homepage, informational leaflet (PDF), and independent cutoff analysis.

Closing reflections

The National Merit Scholarship Program 2025/2026 cycle followed the program’s familiar rhythm of staged announcements and wide local amplification. By the time the spring and early summer award waves concluded, hundreds of communities across the United States had shared the successes of their graduating seniors. Program materials and press coverage from NMSC and local outlets together created a public record of the cycle that is preserved in downloadable leaflets, press releases, and community news pages. For those tracking the program’s national impact or following local recipients, NMSC’s website and the linked resources provide the official points of reference.