Eight from the immediate Gainesville area are among 830 high school seniors recently included in the first group of winners in the 70th annual National Merit Scholarship Program. Four each are from Cumming and Suwanee.
They and the others have won corporate-sponsored National Merit Scholarship awards
financed by about 124 corporations, company foundations, and other business organizations. Also included in this category are awards supported by several foundations and individual donors who have established endowments with the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC).
Most of these awards are renewable for up to four years of college undergraduate study and provide
annual stipends that range from $1,000 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.