MADISON – Determination and focus of Madison students have resulted in College-Sponsored Merit Scholarships from National Merit Scholarship Corporation.

When the 2021 competition ends, approximately 7,500 academic champions will have won National Merit Scholarships worth approximately $30 million.

Officials of each sponsor college selected their scholarship winners from among finalists in the 2021 National Merit Scholarship Program who plan to attend their institution. These awards provide between $500 and $2,000 annually for up to four years of undergraduate study at the institution financing the scholarship.

An additional group of scholars will be announced in July, bringing the total number of college-sponsored Merit Scholarship recipients in the 2021 competition to about 4,000.

Several Madison residents in public and private schools earned the merit scholarships:

* ELIZABETH C. CONGO – James Clemens High School student. National Merit Auburn University Scholarship. Auburn is a state-supported, coeducational land-grant institution with undergraduate study in 135-plus areas. Congo’s probable career field will be health care.

* LOGAN F. COOK – James Clemens. National Merit University of Alabama at Birmingham Scholarship. UAB is a comprehensive, urban research university and academic health center with enrollment exceeding 16,000 students. His probable career field is medicine.

* OLIVIA D. JONES – Bob Jones High School. National Merit University Of Alabama Scholarship. Alabama offers 150-plus undergraduate and 85 graduate majors and has 18,000 students. Probable career field is computer programming.

* SAMUEL M. PRATT – James Clemens. National Merit Auburn University Scholarship. Pratt’s probable career field will be engineering.

* JUSTIN J. YOON – James Clemens. National Merit University of Central Florida Scholarship. Central Florida U. is noted for excellence in undergraduate teaching with its curriculum that combines diversified programs. Probable career field is computer science.

* RICHARD R. KULBACKI – Sparkman High School. National Merit University Of Alabama Scholarship. His probable career field is chemistry.

* JOSEPH R. NANCE – Home school. National Merit Harding University Scholarship. Harding, a private institution with a strong Christian tradition, has students from all 50 states and 45 foreign nations. Probable career field is computer engineering.

* NICOLE R. STARK – Home school. National Merit Mississippi State University Scholarship. MSU is a state-supported, land-grant university offering more than 75 undergraduate and more than 90 graduate degree programs. Probable career field is biochemistry.

* ALEXANDER E. COVERT – Randolph School. National Merit Case Western Reserve University Scholarship. With its campus in Cleveland, Ohio, Case offers bachelor’s degrees with majors in liberal arts and sciences. Probable career field is biomedical engineering.

* MATTHEW E. JOHNSON – Westminster Christian Academy. National Merit Auburn University Scholarship. Johnson’s probable career field will be mechanical engineering.