National Merit Scholarship Corporation announced the names of some 800 outstanding African-American high school seniors who have won Achievement Scholarship awards through the National Achievement Scholarship Program. These awards, totaling nearly $2 million dollars, are being financed by grants from approximately 35 corporate organizations and professional associations and by National Merit Scholarship Corporation.

The National Achievement Scholarship Program is a privately financed academic competition established in 1964 specifically to honor scholastically talented African-American youth, and to provide scholarships to a substantial number of the most outstanding participants in each annual competition. 2010 marks the 46th year of competitions in which more than 30,300 participants will have received scholarships for undergraduate study worth over $95 million. The program is conducted by National Merit Scholarship Corporation, a not-for-profi t organization that operates without government assistance.

Ariel N. Gaines, daughter of Randal and Camalyn Gaines of LaPlace received the National Achievement $2,500 scholarship. She is an honor student at Ursuline Academy in New Orleans, where she is vice-president of her senior class. Gaines has also received scholarships offers to attend the University of Chicago, Oberlin College, Howard University, Florida A&M University, Hampton University and LSU. She has been accepted to Duke University, Georgetown University and Wellesley College.