Ten Hawaii students are included in the second group of scholarship recipients in the 61st annual National Merit Scholarship Program.

The high school seniors are among 2,500 National Merit $2,500 Scholarship winners chosen from more than 15,000 finalists in the 2016 scholarship program.

The state’s recipients: Andrew Z. Teoh, Baldwin High School; Will R. White, Hawaii Preparatory Academy; Dante K. Hirata-Epstein, Kento Tanaka and Isaac M. Taguchi, ‘Iolani School; Darrell Y. Huang, Kalani High School; Michael L. Chen and Hyeon-Jae Seo, Punahou School; Andrew S. Pang, Roosevelt High School; and Cayleigh A. Soderholm, University Laboratory School.

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.

On April 20 more than 1,000 recipients of corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards were named. The second group — winners of the $2,500 scholarship — was announced last week. On June 1 and July 18, some 4,000 college-sponsored Merit Scholarship winners will be announced. 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 per year. Some provide a single payment of $2,500 to $5,000.