https://admissions.tamu.edu/freshman/national-scholars says:
Note: these are the largest components of the NMF scholarships at Texas A&M, according to https://scholarships.tamu.edu/Scholarship-Programs/National-Scholars#0-NationalMeritScholars .
3.5 GPA in college tends to be more difficult to earn than 3.5 GPA in high school.