Ninety-six students who received National Merit or College Board National Recognition awards will be recognized after school on Friday. 

Starting in the auditorium, a ceremony will be held at 4:30 p.m. for everyone to attend. Following the ceremony, students will additionally be recognized on the football field before the game at 5:45 p.m.

Parents who wish to see their kid be recognized on the football field must buy a ticket to enter the stadium.

Ever since 1955, 7,500 college scholarships have been awarded annually by the nonprofit, grant-supported National Merit Scholarship Corporation to high school students on the basis of scholastic record, personal character, and score on a test administered nationally.

In order to qualify for the National Merit Scholarship, most students need a PSAT score within the top 1% of their state. The average cutoff score is approximately 215 out of 228 which is an equivalent of a 1490 on the full SAT.

Among the requirements needed, writing an essay, having a record of very high academic performance in grades nine through 12 and in any college course work taken are to name a few. To be fully endorsed for Finalist standing and qualified for a National Merit Scholarship, a high school principal needs to recommend the student as well.    

Every year, those 7,500 high school students receive a National Merit Scholarship, which will reward those students with around $2,500 each for their freshman year at the college of their choosing  

In addition to a National Merit Scholarship, students with qualifying PSAT scores can receive merit scholarships offered by businesses and colleges. Some colleges even boast about the number of “National Merit Scholars” they enroll, as well as offer National Merit Finalists full-ride scholarships