Illinois Scholarships

Amount: $1,000

Deadline: March 31, June 30, September 30, December 31

While our quarterly scholarship is not exclusive to Illinois students, it’s a great no-essay scholarship to apply for in addition to the scholarships on this list! Open to high school, college, and graduate students of all years. DACA students are also encouraged to apply.

Amount: $25,000

Deadline: Monthly

Details: This monthly scholarship is open to all college students!  Just fill out one simple registration form.

Amount: $5,000

Deadline: February 1 and May 1

Eligibility: The mission of the Renaissance Scholars Program (RSP) is to provide scholarships to high achieving, low-income students who will be the first in their family to earn a bachelor’s degree.  Must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 and show academic achievement.

Amount: $7,000

Deadline: February 1

Eligibility: Scholarship are for Jewish students who are born and raised in Chicago metropolitan area or Northwest Indiana, or have one continuous year of full-time employment in Chicago metropolitan area prior to starting professional education.

Amount: Varies

Deadline: March 1

Eligibility: Teachers or students who are pursuing a career in special education as public, private or parochial preschool, elementary or secondary school teachers in Illinois may be eligible for this program.

Amount: $2,050

Deadline: March 1

Eligibility:  Applicants must be a graduating Illinois high school senior and applying to attend a university/college located in Illinois. 

Amount: Up to $7,500

Deadline: March 31

Eligibility: If you plan to teach at a nonprofit Illinois public, private, or parochial preschool, elementary school, or secondary school, and you are of African American/Black, Hispanic American, Asian American or Native American origin or are a qualified bilingual minority applicant, then you may qualify for up to $7,500 per year as part of the Minority Teachers of Illinois (MTI) Scholarship Program

Amount: $400- First year scholarship winners are eligible for second, third, and fourth year awards of $500, $600, and $1,000 respectively.

Deadline: April 1

Eligibility: Scholarship for undergraduate students of the Catholic faith and of Italian heritage (or children or grand children of non-Italian ICF members). Must have minimum 3.2 GPA. 

Amount: 2,500

Deadline:  April 12

Eligibility: To apply, you must be a high school senior, high school graduate or current undergraduate.  You must also self-identify as female (any race/ethnicity), or as a member of a traditionally underserved racial or ethnic background: Black or African American; American Indian or Alaska Native; Hispanic or Latino; Asian American; or Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander.

Amount: $2,500

Deadline: April 15

Eligibility:  Applicants must be a graduating Illinois high school senior and a minimum cumulative unweighted high school GPA of 3.0.
A household income at or below the Low Income Level. Open to ALL MAJORS

Amount: $1,000 (10 available)

Deadline: April 30

Eligibility: The ISL Midwest Senior Scholarship is open to high school seniors, and parents of students, who are residents of Illinois, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota or Wisconsin.

Amount: Up to $18,204

Deadline: April 30

Eligibility: If you are pursuing a certificate in practical nursing, an associate degree in nursing, a hospital-based diploma in nursing or a bachelor’s or graduate degree in nursing and demonstrate the greatest financial need among qualified students, you may be qualified to receive the Nursing Education Scholarship.

Amount: $4,000

Deadline: Expected in May 

Eligibility: The Chicago Coalition for the Homeless Scholarship annually rewards $4,000 to approximately 24 graduating high school seniors in Chicago who succeeded in school while experiencing homelessness.

Amount: $5,000

Deadline: September 6

Eligibility: The DFSS CSBG Scholarship Program provides financial assistance to income-eligible individuals in Chicago pursuing their higher education goals. Students enrolled full-time in any Illinois college, university, or vocational training program are eligible to apply.

Amount: $1,000 to $4,000

Deadline: September 20

Eligibility: Are you an LGBTQ+ individual, an ally, or a child or LGBTQ+ parents? Further, do you live in Illinois and will soon be attending a postsecondary educational institution? If so, you may be eligible for the Acorn Equality Fund Scholarships! Each year, the scholarships provide between $1,000 and $4,000 to eligible applicants.

Amount: $5,000

Deadline: November 21

Eligibility: Applicants should be high-performing high school seniors who come from low-income communities and have demonstrated true leadership and positive community contributions.

Amount: up to $7,500

Deadline: November 30

Eligibility:The Illinois Graduate and Retain our Workforce (iGROW) Tech Scholarship Program provides scholarship assistance to Illinois students pursuing IT and related careers. To apply, you must be an Illinois resident andhave graduated from high school or have received a State of Illinois High School Diploma.

Amount: Amount Varies

Deadline: December 31

Eligibility: MAP grants, which do not need to be repaid, are available to eligible Illinois residents who attend approved Illinois colleges and demonstrate financial need, based on the information provided on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

Amount: Varies

Deadline: Rolling

Eligibility: The Soil and Water Stewardship Scholarship is open to Illinois high school seniors and current undergraduate students currently majoring in or planning to study a natural resource field such as fish or wildlife biology, conservation education, biology, ecology, forestry, hydrology, soils, and pollution control.

Amount: $2,500

Deadline: December 10

Eligibility:  The Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH)’s Me & Nic Broke Up campaign is a new initiative prioritizing Chicago youth, with a focus on enhancing knowledge about the dangers of vaping and promoting cessation by “Breaking up with Nicotine.”  The CDPH is awarding a select number of scholarships to Chicago-based students who commit to a vape-free lifestyle. To be eligible, individuals must be students over the age of 16 who “commit to a vape-free lifestyle.” If you’re a Chicago student, we encourage you to apply.