Scholarships
Your grades, achievements, and activities during high school typically determine the scholarships for which you are eligible. Often, the organization or individual donor providing the scholarship wishes to reward or encourage certain characteristics or behaviors such as strong academic credentials, leadership or community service activities, or plans to enter a certain profession.
Search for scholarships continually
Scholarships come from a variety of sources. Some are available through Illinois State University. Our ScholarshipFinder can also help you find awards within the University. Professional organizations, social clubs, employers, community organizations, and individual donors provide many more. Each scholarship provider determines when and how they will select the recipient, whether or not the award is renewable year after year, when the money will be awarded, and how it should be used. The more often you are searching and applying for scholarships, the less likely it is you will miss something for which you could have qualified.
Understand the timeline and process
Most scholarships are awarded on an annual basis. Usually that means applications are accepted in the fall or spring, winners are notified a few weeks to a few months later, and the actual awards are made the next fall. Unfortunately, because of this timing, if you are trying to cover an outstanding bill you have right now, scholarships are unlikely to help. Find out how the process works when you receive a scholarship.
Scholarships Available Now
Alumni Association Scholarship
In 2009, the Alumni Association launched an initiative to create the Illinois State University Alumni Association Scholarship. This scholarship addresses the accessibility of undergraduate education to students who exhibit outstanding academic achievement and leadership, and who demonstrate a financial need. Additional consideration is given to students whose immediate family members have attended or graduated from Illinois State University.
Marian H. Dean Legacy Scholarship/ Legacy Student Tuition Waiver
The Illinois State University Student Alumni Council offers scholarships and tuition waivers to sons, daughters, siblings, grandchildren of Illinois State graduates. The nonrenewable scholarship was made possible by a donation from the family of Marian H. Dean, Class of 1927, and contributions from Student Alumni Council and the Illinois State University Alumni Association.
The purpose of the scholarship is to help ease the strain of college expenses, reward accomplished students, and recognize legacy families for continuing the Illinois State tradition.
Deadline for these scholarships is December 1, 2017 at 4:30 p.m. CST.
Application for Senior Citizen Courses Act Tuition Waiver
Senior Citizen Courses Act (110 ILCS 990): Permits senior citizens, over the age of 65 who are accepted to the institution, to enroll in regularly scheduled credit courses at public institutions of higher education without payment of tuition. Does not include payment of any fees. Must be age 65 or older with an annual household income below the threshold amount provided in the statute.
http://policy.illinoisstate.edu/fiscal/7-7-8.shtml )
Get more information
Our blog can help you:
- more effectively search for scholarships,
- improve the quality of your applications, and
- help you write a better scholarship essay.
Federal Student Aid also provides a good explanation of how scholarships work.
For questions regarding scholarships, please call (309) 438-2740 or email scholarships@illinoisstate.edu.