<p>The one-time $2500 award from NMSC is offered before the college NM awards–late in March or early in April in past years: the college awards come later than that. I believe you have the option to decline the one-time award if you would rather accept or compete for a college NM award that is greater in amount. In contrast, the corporate scholarships are selected and given earlier than the one-time NMSC awards. I don’t think they come with an option to decline. But they are usually more than the $2500.</p>