Hignite Named National Merit Scholar Semi-Finalist: Earlier this month, 16,000 students from across the United State were notified that they had met all criteria to be considered a National Merit Scholar Semi Finalist. Students applying for the scholarship had to meet many prerequisites to be considered for the award, including having to score higher than a 205 on the PSAT that was taken during their junior year in high school. Jackson Hignite, a senior running back for the Bulldogs, was one of seven Springdale Public School students to be named a National Merit Scholar Semi-Finalist. Jackson currently has a 4.27 GPA and has scored a 33 on the ACT. Jackson and the other semi-finalists from Springdale make up 7 of the 131 nominees from the state of Arkansas. In the coming months board members will review all 16,000 applicants and narrow it down to 7,500 award winners. Semi-finalist will have to send in letters of recommendation among other documents for review. It is estimated that Arkansas will receive 65 award winners. Applicants who win the award can receive up to $2,500 per year from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. Also, winners can receive financial aid from whatever college or university they attend after their senior year. For example, Oklahoma University awards National Merit Scholarship winners up to $116,000 in financial aid. Corporations can also sponsor students for any dollar amount they choose. No matter the outcome, the Red Dogs are extremely proud of Jackson and all of his hard work on and off the field.