CENTRAL—One-sixth of the state’s winners of National Merit Scholarships are from Daniel High School, according to the state Department of Education. Six of the 36 winners are from the Central-Clemson area school. Pickens High School had one winner of a National Merit Scholarship.

National Merit Scholarships are financed by colleges and universities across the nation.

Officials of each sponsoring college select their scholarship winners from among finalists in the 2010 National Merit Scholarship Program who plan to attend their institution. The awards provide between $500 and $2,000 annually for up to four years of undergraduate study, according to the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.

Clemson University tendered the most scholarships at 14, while the University of South Carolina gave six and Furman University gave four. In addition to the public school winners, two awards went to home-schooled students and 12 others to students enrolled in private schools.

Another group of scholars will be announced in July, bringing the total number of college-sponsored Merit Scholarship recipients in the 2010 competition to more than 4,900. Winners announced thus far are among approximately 8,400 distinguished high school seniors who will receive National Merit Scholarships this year worth $36 million for college undergraduate study.

The National Merit Scholarship Corporation is a not-for-profit organization that operates without government assistance and was founded in 1955 specifically to conduct an annual scholarship program. The majority of scholarships offered each year are underwritten by 500 independent corporate and college sponsors.

Local winners include

-- Elizabeth A. Hawthorne of Daniel High School; probable career not reported; Furman University.

-- Haaris S. Khan of Daniel High School; probable career field—medicine; Clemson University.

-- Nandita N. Balakrishnan of Daniel High School; probable career field—law; Emory University.

-- Lara L. McLellan of Daniel High School; Probable career field — Environmental Law; University of Oklahoma.

-- Christine A. Schalkoff of Daniel High School; Probable career field: Biology; Clemson University.

-- Anna H. Schleifer, Probable career field: Residential Contracting; Clemson University

-- James M. Lawson of Pickens High School; Probable career field: Religious Service; Wofford College.