Six Hawaii students are included in the fourth and final group of scholarship recipients in the 61st annual National Merit Scholarship Program.

The recent high school graduates are among 800 recipients of National Merit scholarships financed by U.S. colleges in the 2016 scholarship program, according to a news release issued last week. Last month 13 Hawaii students were among 3,000 recipients of the same scholarship award.

The state’s latest recipients are Vivien Yuwen Chen (Olin College of Engineering Scholarship), McKinley High School; Tristan C. Kilkenny (University of Texas at Dallas Scholarship), Hawaii Preparatory Academy in Waimea, Hawaii island; Reece Y. Tanaka (Boston University Scholarship), ‘Iolani School; Huey M. Fields (Harvey Mudd College Scholarship), Mid-Pacific Institute; and Arthur Johnson (University of Southern California Scholarship) and Evan S. Uyeno (University of Oklahoma Scholarship), Punahou School.

The college-sponsored awards provide between $500 and $2,000 annually for up to four years of undergraduate study.

This year 176 colleges are sponsoring more than 3,800 Merit Scholarship awards. Sponsor colleges include 99 private and 77 public institutions in 45 states and Washington, D.C.

In April more than 1,000 recipients of corporate-sponsored scholarship awards were named. One Hawaii student was included in that group.

The second group — winners of a one-time $2,500 scholarship — was announced in May. Ten Hawaii students were included in that group.

In that group the number of winners named in each state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the nation’s graduating seniors. Recipients were selected by a committee of college admissions officers and high school counselors who appraised information submitted by finalists and schools, including academic record — difficulty level of subjects studied and grades earned; scores from two standardized tests; contributions and leadership in school and community activities; an essay written by the finalist; and a recommendation written by a high school official.

In all, about 7,500 students will have won National Merit Scholarships worth about $33 million in this year’s competition. Some of the awards are renewable for up to four years of undergraduate study and provide annual stipends that range from $500 to $10,000. Some provide a single payment of $2,500 to $5,000.