By Michelle DeLeon
Staff Writer

Three Osceola County  students who showed exceptional academic ability were recipients of National Merit Scholarships.

About 1.5 million juniors in some 22,000 high schools entered the 2012 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2010 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.

On July 9, the National Merit Scholarship Program announced more than 2,000 additional winners and three are Osceola County Students.

Christopher Delgado, a 2011 Poinciana High School graduate, received a University of Central Florida scholarship.

Matthew Hayes, of Osceola High School, received a National Merit University of Minnesota scholarship and Richard Belleville of Gateway High School received a National Merit University of Alabama scholarship.

The National Merit Scholarship Program honors individual students who show exceptional academic ability and potential for success in rigorous college studies.

These college-sponsored awards are between $500 and $2,000 annually for up to four years of undergraduate study at the institution financing the scholarship.

This year, 197 higher education institutions are underwriting Merit Scholarship awards through the program. Sponsor colleges and universities include 117 private and 80 public institutions located in 45 states and the District of Columbia.

College-sponsored Merit Scholarship winners like Delgado, Hayes and Belleville are a part of the distinguished group of about 8,100 winners who will receive National Merit Scholarships for college undergraduate study worth more than $35 million.