Toms River Student Named National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist

TOMS RIVER, NJ — A Toms River Regional student has been named a semifinalist in the National Merit Scholarship program for 2025-26.

The National Merit Scholarship Corporation announced the more than 16,000 semifinalists in the 71st annual National Merit Scholarship Program, with semifinalist status based on how they scored on the PSAT as juniors.

Kiran G. Kanuga of Toms River High School East is among dozens of semifinalists from New Jersey who have the opportunity to apply for and potentially receive National Merit Scholarships, the corporation announcement said. The program's awards are worth nearly $26 million, it said.

More than 1.3 million juniors in about 20,000 high schools entered the 2026 scholarship program by taking the PSAT. The semifinalists represent less than 1 percent of U.S. high school seniors and include the highest-scoring entrants in each state, with the number of semifinalists proportional to the state’s percentage of the national total of graduating seniors.

Semifinalists and an official at their high school must submit a detailed scholarship application with information about the student's academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment, and honors and awards received.

"A Semifinalist must have an outstanding academic record throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by a high school official, write an essay, and earn SAT or ACT scores" that back up the score they earned on the PSAT, the organization said.

More than 15,000 semifinalists are anticipated to advance to the finalist level and they will be notified in February. They then become eligible for the National Merit scholarships.

There are 2,500 National Merit awards worth $2,500 each, awarded on a state-representational basis. There also are about 830 corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards provided by about 150 corporations and business organizations for those who meet the companies' specified criteria.

In addition, about 150 colleges and universities are anticipated to finance some 3,600 college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards for fiinalists who will attend the college or university giving the award.

National Merit Scholarship winners of 2026 will be announced beginning in April, the corporation said.