Seventy-eight students from 17 Hawai'i schools have been named semifinalists in the 2006 National Merit Scholarship program.

The students are among about 16,000 nationwide who will compete for 8,200 Merit Scholarship awards. The students were selected based on their scores on the 2004 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.

To be considered for a Merit Scholarship, semifinalists must meet certain criteria, including producing an outstanding high school academic record, a recommendation from the principal, qualifying SAT scores, and a detailed application from the semifinalist and a school official.

The Merit Scholarship winners of 2006 will be announced from April through July.

The semifinalists:

O'AHU

Academy of the Pacific: Jonathan Lance

'Aiea High School: Lessa Furusho

Castle High School: Katherine Souza

Education Laboratory: Paul Anderson

Iolani School: Bryce Aisaka, Robert Atkinson, Austin Barnes, Gitasree Borthakur, Jonathan Chang, Megan Chock, Nolan Chung, Lauren Fukuda, Shelby Gai, Wesley Griswold, Jennifer Hui, Jasmine Jin, Corey Kelsom, Matthew Kohatsu, Brent Kutara, Austin Lee, Amanda Maehara, Jakara Mato, Zachary Napier, Suveg Padney, Bruna Rieder, Kevin Sin, Yi-Jing Tan, Amanda Tanaka, Christina Tanaka, Matthew Tanaka, Troy Tokuhama, Mai Tsukikawa, Dean Ushijima, Sarah Webb, Jesse Wilson, Joshua Wong, Yufeng Yang, Emily Zia

Kalani High School: Li Li

Kamehameha Schools, Kapalama Campus: John Fernandes-Salling, Joy Kito-Hong, Keahiahi Long, Megan McCully, Lindsay Wilhelm

Mid-Pacific Institute: Matthew Cieslak, Morgen Sullivan

Mililani High School: Stephen Kaneshiro

Punahou School: William Bailey, Alison Berthiaume, Emma Candon, Erin Caulfield, Dylan Chun, Stuart Cornuelle, Tyler Dossantos-Tam, Kalae Furtado, Jared Furuta, Jonathan Goto, Scott Hiramoto, Andrew Kim, Christine Loui, Mark Lum, Mallory McLaren, Andrew McTernan, Drew Robb, Scott Seki, Robert Siko, Andrew Sue-Ako, Jeffrey Sult, Lorraine White, Kevin Woods

Roosevelt High School: Amy Chang

Sacred Hearts Academy: Renee Firing

BIG ISLAND

Waiakea High School: Jonathan Paranada

Hawai'i Preparatory Academy: Steven Gaughan

Honoka'a High School: Noelani Penney

Konawaena High School: Leilani Dimond

MAUI

Seabury Hall: Alexander Taylor, Joshua Verkerke