Spotlight on Education: Manatee High Student Named National Merit Scholarship Winner

On Wednesday, Manatee High School senior Corbin Wood was announced as a Corporate-sponsored National Merit Scholarship winner. More than 1,000 distinguished high school seniors have won corporate-sponsored National Merit Scholarship awards. Wood is interested in pursuing a career in Cardiology.

Scholars were selected from students who advanced to the Finalist level in the National Merit Scholarship competition and met criteria of their scholarship sponsors. LPL Financial, an independent broker-dealer, is providing the National Merit Scholarship to Corbin Wood.

According to 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 $500 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.

More than 1.5 Million high school juniors entered the National Merit Scholarship competition when they took the 2014 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. The 16,000 Semifinalists announced in the fall of 2015 represent less than one-percent of the nation’s seniors.

This is the first announcement of 2016 National Merit Scholar winners. NMSC will name recipients of National Merit $2,500 Scholarships in May; and winners of college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards in June and July. This year, 7,500 academic champions will have won National Merit Scholarships worth approx. $33 Million.