BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – Twenty-nine high school seniors from Brevard County have been named Semifinalists in the 2026 National Merit Scholarship Program, a distinction earned by less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors.
The announcement, made this week by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, recognizes students with exceptional academic ability and potential for success in college. More than 1.3 million juniors entered the competition by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) in 2024, with only the highest scorers advancing to the Semifinalist round.
These students now have the opportunity to continue in the competition for nearly 7,000 National Merit Scholarships worth about $26 million that will be awarded in spring 2026. About 95 percent of Semifinalists are expected to advance to Finalist status, and roughly half of all Finalists will earn scholarships.





