Brenham homeschooler among National Merit Scholarship semifinalists – Brenham Banner-Press
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Updated: September 24, 2025 @ 12:58 pm
September 24, 2025
Nathan DeLoach, a Brenham homeschool and online school student, has been named a semifinalist in the 2026 National Merit Scholarship Program.
DeLoach is among more than 16,000 high school seniors nationwide recognized by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) for exceptional academic achievement. Semifinalists represent less than 1 percent of U.S. high school seniors and now have the opportunity to compete for about 6,930 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $26 million to be awarded next spring.
To qualify, students took the 2024 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), which served as an initial screen. About 95 percent of semifinalists are expected to advance to finalist standing, with roughly half earning National Merit Scholarships and the title of Merit Scholar.
To become finalists, students and a high school official must submit detailed scholarship applications, including academic records, leadership activities and test scores confirming their earlier performance.
Established in 1955, the National Merit Scholarship Corporation is a not-for-profit organization funded by its own endowment along with about 300 business organizations, colleges and universities, and individual donors.
Three types of scholarships will be offered in spring 2026: 2,500 $2,500 National Merit Scholarships awarded on a state-representational basis; about 830 corporate-sponsored scholarships for finalists meeting specified criteria; and about 3,600 college-sponsored scholarships financed by participating colleges and universities.
National Merit Scholarship winners will be announced in four nationwide news releases from April through July 2026.
For more information, visit www.nationalmerit.org.
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