With National Merit scholarships, prestige rivals money - The Clarion-Ledger: "Jennifer Gillis of Jackson said her National Merit award was small compared with the full ride the University of Southern Mississippi offered her, but simply being a National Merit finalist was a boost in picking up other honors, like a $5,000 study-abroad supplement and a laptop.

'National Merit winners tend to be offered a lot of scholarships,' said Gillis, who was valedictorian at Forest Hill High, where some older friends alerted her to the PSAT qualifying exam her sophomore year."