Corporate scholars are not in the running for the $2500 prize . This was confirmed to me when I called NM. You cannot win more than one NM scholarship. They specifically said the committee looks at corporate affiliation and that group is confirmed and set aside. My husband’s employer sponsors ALL NM dependents so our daughter never had a chance at the $2500. Some companies only sponsor a few finalists. When they are chosen, they are taken out of the pool under consideration for the one time award. The remaining kids with the corporate affiliation but who were not awarded corporate, can then go back into the pool.In theory, maybe all finalists are under consideration for the $2500, but in reality, the known corporate scholars are pulled out.