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.
2020-2021 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 the award amount will depend on available funding. The application for this awarding cycle closed February 19, 2021.
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 11:59pm on Friday, April 30, 2021.
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
The application deadline is 11:59pm on Friday, May 7, 2021.
2021-2022 Robert & Michelle Howell Scholarship
The Robert & Michelle Howell Scholarship was established to assist Illinois State University students who have a physical disability who have a financial need. Additional information about the scholarship and the application process can be found at the 2021-2022 Robert & Michelle Howell Scholarship page.
2021-2022 Joseph A. Rives/Scott J. Brouette Endowed Scholarship
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 11:59pm on Friday, May 14, 2021 to be awarded for the 2021-2022 academic year.
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.