WATERS Gaffney High senior Jacob Waters got the news he was hoping for Thursday when he received a national merit scholarship.

Waters is one of 19 public high school seniors in South Carolina to receive a $2,500 national merit scholarship award this year. He was chosen for the scholarship from among 15,000 finalists nationally in the 2008 National Merit Scholarship Program.

Finalists in each state are selected by a committee of college admissions officers and high school counselors. The $2,500 scholarships go to students based on their academic record, including difficulty level of subjects studied, test scores, school leadership and community activities as well as an essay describing their interests and goals.

Waters is taking English and psychology for dual credit through Spartanburg Community College. He is taking Advanced Placement classes for college credit in AP statistics, macroeconomics and calculus.

Waters plans to attend Clemson University and major in engineering.

Waters entered the national merit scholarship program last year when he took the practice SAT, which serves as the initial screening for merit scholar candidates.

"When I took the test last fall, I didn't expect it to go this far," Waters said. "I'm glad it turned out this way. I hope it helps."

The scholarship winners were announced by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation in Evanston, Ill. The scholarship program started in 1955. It is supported by about 500 businesses and higher education institutions.

About $34 million in scholarships are being awarded this spring nationally in the form of $2,500 merit scholarships, collegesponsored and corporate-sponsored scholarship awards. The number of winners named in each state is proportional to the state's percentage of the nation's high school graduating seniors.