<p>The Morehead-Cain press release said they were going to increase the number of scholars this year to between 70 and 75. Unfortunately I highly doubt that they would re-open the process, especially at this late date. </p>
<p>In the future it may mean more making it to finalist stage, but there have always been 150+ finalists for the 40-50 awards.</p>
<p>Since the number of winners always has been rather fluid (they always have given a range of the number of anticipated annual winners) it just means that more of the people that have made it to finalist status may have a chance at winning. It doesn’t guarantee that there will be more winners. For example, if they don’t feel that some of the 150 or so finalists would have been winners had there only been 55, they won’t award 75 just to offer the award to more students. This will be a way of offering the award in some of the more difficult to eliminate cases.</p>