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.
2022-2023 Alumni Engagement Office Scholarships
The application for these scholarships will be available from January 3, until 11:59pm on February 11, 2022. Scholarships will be disbursed during the 2022-2023 academic year.
By completing the online application, you may apply for one or all the following scholarships offered by the Alumni Engagement Office:
- Alumni Association Scholarship
- Student Alumni Council/Marian H. Dean Legacy Scholarship and the Donald L. and Marie E. Dillow Family Memorial Scholarship
- Redbird Family Partial Tuition Waiver
Some of the scholarships offered by the Alumni Engagement Office have a requirement and/or a preference to applicants with an ISU Legacy. Please read the scholarship application for scholarship specific requirements.
For questions, please contact Alumni Engagement via email at Alumni@IllinoisState.edu or call them at (309) 438-2586.
2021-2022 Talkington Family Endowed Scholarship
The Talkington Family Endowed Scholarship was established by Joe E. Talkington in October 2016 to provide financial support to employees working full time or part time at Westminster Village in Bloomington, IL. Joe retired from Illinois State University in June 1991 having served the University with distinction as Department Chairperson and professor in the Department of Technology (formerly the Department of Industrial Technology) for more than 29 years. He has been a resident of Westminster Village since September 2012.
Scholarship criteria:
- Must be accepted for enrollment or enrolled as student in good academic standing at Illinois State University
- Must be an employee (part-time or full-time) of Westminster Village in Bloomington, IL
- Must have a demonstrated financial need as determined by filing and completing the 2021-2022 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) process
- Employment status must be verified by the Human Resources Department at Westminster Village in Bloomington, IL
This application is only open to students who have not already received the Talkington Scholarship during the 2021-2022 academic year.
The application deadline is 11:59 pm on Friday, January 21, 2022.
2021-2022 Lopez & Navarro Scholarship
The Lopez and Navarro Scholarship is intended to provide financial assistance to support undocumented and DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) students in their dream of receiving a college degree. The number of scholarships given and award amounts will depend on available funding. Applications received will be reviewed at the beginning of each month and winners notified soon after. The application will remain open until funds for the scholarship have been exhausted. Only one application per individual will be considered each year.
Scholarship criteria:
- Undocumented or DACA undergraduate or graduate student.
- Currently enrolled in good academic standing at Illinois State University or incoming student who has been admitted to Illinois State.
- Preference to first generation college students (parents have not earned a bachelor's degree).
- Preference to students with financial need as demonstrated on the scholarship application and determined by the Financial Aid Office.
2022-2023 Friends of Donna Mauk Memorial Scholarship
The Friends of Donna Mauk Memorial Scholarship was established by Ed Warshaw and friends in May 2009. This scholarship is intended to help students who have lost a parent to cancer or are battling or survived cancer themselves. Donna Mauk lost her life to cancer in 2008. Although never a student at Illinois State University (ISU), she shared her life with an ISU grad (Steve Mauk, ‘79), and many of Donna’s friends were ISU alumni. Donna was a frequent visitor to the Bloomington/Normal community, and she would be pleased to be able to help ISU students who have had to deal with the loss of a parent due to cancer or have or are battling cancer themselves.
Application deadline is 11:59 pm on Monday, February 28, 2022.
2022-2023 Olamide Adeyooye Scholarship
This fund was established in 2006 to honor Olamide Adeyooye, a senior whose life was tragically ended three months prior to her graduation. Candidates must have demonstrated academic achievement, financial need, and a commitment to campus and/or community service; and have completed at least 30 hours of credit at Illinois State University. Additional scholarship criteria can be found on the online application.
Application deadline is at 11:59pm on Monday, February 28, 2022.
2022-2023 Joseph A. Rives/Scott J. Brouette Endowed Scholarship Application
The Joseph A. Rives/Scott J. Brouette Scholarship Fund was established in 2016 by Joseph A. Rives and Scott J. Brouette to provide financial support to a member of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) community pursing an education in the College of Education or Secondary Education at Illinois State University.
Criteria for the scholarship:
- Accepted for enrollment or enrolled in good standing in the College of Education or in a Secondary Education major at Illinois State University
- Demonstrated academic achievement, as evidenced by a minimum GPA of 2.5
- A member of the LGBTQ community at Illinois State University
- Demonstrated financial need (as determined by the ISU Financial Aid Office)
- Complete the online application
Application deadline will be at 11:59 pm on Monday, February 28, 2022 to be awarded for the 2022-2023 academic year.
2022-2023 Class of 1985 & 1986
The Class of 1985 Scholarship and the Class of 1986 Scholarship were established by their respective graduating classes to acknowledge students' commitments to the Illinois State University campus and surrounding community through involvement in campus activities and demonstrated leadership.
You can apply for one or both scholarships. As part of the application process you must upload the required essay and 1 letter of recommendation.
The essay should outline (in 250 words or less) your specific involvement in campus and community activities and explains your leadership roles, your leadership skills, and the impact of your contributions to ISU and the surrounding community.
Please note: you must upload only ONE essay and ONE letter of recommendation to apply for one or both scholarships. Recommendations should reflect your leadership and service OUTSIDE the classroom setting.
Class of 1985 criteria:
Eligible applicants must have:
- 30 completed hours of credit at ISU at the time of application
- Minimum 2.50 ISU GPA – after Fall 2021 grades posted
- Demonstrated unmet need as determined by filing the 2022-2023 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the 2022-2023 academic year
- Demonstrated leadership and participation in ISU campus/community activities
Class of 1986 criteria:
Eligible applicants must have:
- 30 completed hours of credit at ISU at the time of application
- Minimum 3.00 ISU GPA – after Fall 2021 grades posted
- Demonstrated academic excellence
- Demonstrated leadership and participation in ISU campus/community activities
Application deadline for both scholarships is at 11:59 pm on Monday, February 28, 2022.
Scholarships will be awarded for the 2022-2023 academic year.
2022-2023 CEFCU Member Appreciation Scholarship
Citizens Equity First Credit Union (CEFCU) has a long history of assisting its membership in securing adequate financial support for higher education. CEFCU recognizes the benefits to the entire community when opportunities for a college education are within the reach of deserving and talented students. In recognition of CEFCU's commitment to higher education and Illinois State University's ongoing educational excellence, the CECFU Member Appreciation Scholarship has been established.
The $2,500 scholarship may be awarded each year to students meeting the criteria. Please review the online application for details. The number of awards is based on available funding. The CEFCU Member Appreciation Scholarship is a nonrenewable award.
Application deadline is at 11:59pm on Monday, February 28, 2022.
2022-2023 Talkington Family Endowed Scholarship
The Talkington Family Endowed Scholarship was established by Joe E. Talkington in October 2016 to provide financial support to employees working full time or part time at Westminster Village in Bloomington, IL. Joe retired from Illinois State University in June 1991 having served the University with distinction as Department Chairperson and professor in the Department of Technology (formerly the Department of Industrial Technology) for more than 29 years. He has been a resident of Westminster Village since September 2012.
Scholarship criteria:
- Must be accepted for enrollment or enrolled as student in good academic standing at Illinois State University
- Must be an employee (part-time or full-time) of Westminster Village in Bloomington, IL
- Must have a demonstrated financial need as determined by filing and completing the 2022-2023 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) process
- Employment status must be verified by the Human Resources Department at Westminster Village in Bloomington, IL
The application deadline is 11:59 pm on Monday, February 28, 2022.
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 fees. Must be age 65 or older with an annual household income below the threshold amount provided in the statute.
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.