CONGRATULATIONS… to Hartford High School senior, Eric Blocker, who has been selected as a National Merit Scholarship Finalist. United States high school students enter the National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT). National Merit Scholarship winners are chosen from the group of finalists each year based on their abilities, skills, and accomplishments. There are three types of National Merit Scholarships: National Merit $2500 Scholarships, corporate-sponsored scholarships and college-sponsored scholarships.