The National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) is a nonprofit organization that recognizes and honors academic excellence among high school students in the United States. Established in 1955, it administers the National Merit Scholarship Program, which awards scholarships based on students' performance on the PSAT/NMSQT exam. Each year, high school juniors take the PSAT, and the top scorers are designated as National Merit Semifinalists. These students can then compete for various scholarships, including corporate-sponsored and college-sponsored awards, helping to support their higher education goals.