Education: Wanted: Bright Students

The National Merit Scholarship Corp., a new, nonprofit organization set up in Illinois by a group of nationally prominent businessmen and educators, announced the establishment of the largest independent college scholarship program in history. Initial fund: $20.5 million contributed by the Ford Foundation and the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Some $10 million of the fund will be used to finance four-year National Merit Scholarships, which will be awarded ($1,000,000 worth a year) on the basis of annual nationwide searches for bright students who cannot afford college. The nation’s approximately 25,000 secondary schools are already being invited to nominate candidates for the first scholarships, to be awarded before May 1956.

The corporation, headed by President John M. Stalnaker, former dean of students at Stanford University, will offer U.S. businesses and individuals an easy method of donating college scholarships, has set aside $8,000,000 to match contributions received from donors. Contributions will be put into scholarships as fast as they become available. Businesses can specify scholarships in particular fields of education, will have their names used in scholarships they donate.