DoDEA 2022 National Merit® Scholarship Program Semifinalists

The National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) announced the names of approximately 16,000 Semifinalists in the 67th annual National Merit Scholarship Program. Among the selectees are five DoDEA semifinalists:

Americas (3)

Ross M. Kenney, Grade 12
Antilles High School (Puerto Rico)

Andrea C. Ortiz Ortega, Grade 12
Antilles High School (Puerto Rico)

Brock S. Sharp, Grade 12
Fort Campbell High School (Kentucky)

Pacific (2)

Ella M. Johnson Grade 12
Nile C. Kinnick High School (Japan)

Caleb H. Kim, Grade 12
Humphreys High School (South Korea)

These academically talented students represent less than 1 percent of the nation’s high school graduating seniors who have qualified as Semifinalist for the National Merit Program. They have the opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,500 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $30 million that will be offered next spring.  

To be considered for a Merit Scholarship® award, Semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to advance to the Finalist level of the competition. About 95 percent of the Semifinalists are expected to attain Finalist standing, and more than half of the Finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship, earning the Merit Scholar® title. NMSC, a not-for-profit organization that operates without government assistance, was established in 1955 specifically to conduct the annual National Merit Scholarship Program.

Scholarships are underwritten by NMSC with its own funds and by approximately 400 business organizations and higher education institutions that share NMSC’s goals of honoring the nation’s scholastic champions and encouraging the pursuit of academic excellence.

High school juniors entered the 2022 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2020 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®), which served as an initial screen of program entrants. The nationwide pool of Semifinalists, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state. The number of Semifinalists in a state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the national total of graduating seniors.

From the approximately 16,000 Semifinalists, about 15,000 are expected to advance to the Finalist level, and in February they will be notified of this designation. Three types of National Merit Scholarships will be offered in the spring of 2022. Every Finalist will compete for one of 2,500 National Merit® $2500 Scholarships that will be awarded on a state-representational basis. About 1,000 corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards will be provided by approximately 220 corporations and business organizations for Finalists who meet their specified criteria, such as children of the grantor’s employees or residents of communities where sponsor plants or offices are located. In addition, about 180 colleges and universities are expected to finance some 4,000 college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards for Finalists who will attend the sponsor institution. National Merit Scholarship winners of 2022 will be announced in four nationwide news releases beginning in April and concluding in July.

All National Merit Scholarship winners will be selected from this group of Finalists. Merit Scholar designees are selected on the basis of their skills, accomplishments, and potential for success in rigorous college studies, without regard to gender, race, ethnic origin, or religious preference.

For more information about the competition, please visit NMSC’s website at www.nationalmerit.org.