Top 61 Illinois Scholarships in December 2023

Easy scholarship open to all high school and college students, as well as anyone looking to attend college or graduate school in the next year. Niche is giving one student $50,000 to help pay for tuition, housing, books and other college expenses — no essay required!

Sallie Mae will award $2,000 each month to eligible entrants. No essay or account sign-ups, just a simple scholarship for those seeking help paying for school.

Open to high school students, college students, community college students, and graduate students.

The University of Chicago’s Chicago Police and Fire Scholarship is open to high school seniors who've been accepted to the University of Chicago and are the child (or the legally adopted children) of currently active, sworn Chicago Firefighters, Chicago Police Officers, or University of Chicago Police Officers. Students whose parent lost his or her life in the line of duty are also eligible to apply. Each winner is guaranteed up to full-tuition for four years of undergraduate studies (12 academic quarters), provided he or she makes satisfactory academic progress and remains enrolled full-time in the College. If you have a parent who served as a Chicago Public Safety Officer, we encourage you to apply and honor their legacy today.

The Six Meter Club of Chicago Scholarship is calling all active Amateur Radio license holders! If you're a resident of Illinois or the ARRL Central Division (Indiana, Wisconsin) and enrolled part-time or full-time in an accredited technical school, community college, college or university leading to an undergraduate degree, you're eligible to apply. Any field of study is welcome, but those with a GPA of 2.5 or better and in good academic standing will be given preference. Don't miss out on this opportunity to further your education!

The David Knaus Memorial Scholarship is a fantastic opportunity for students with an active Amateur Radio license who are residing in Wisconsin or elsewhere in the ARRL Central Division (Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin). Applicants must also be pursuing a bachelor's degree or a 2 year Associate's degree. Don't miss out on this chance to further your education and honor the memory of David Knaus.

The Peoria Area Amateur Radio Club Scholarship is open to students with a Technician Class (one of three US Radio Amateur licenses) or higher license who is enrolled in any accredited two- or four-year university. Applicants must also reside in Central Illinois in one of these counties: Peoria, Tazewell, Woodford, Knox, McLean, Fulton, Logan, Marshall or Stark. Don't miss out on this chance to further your education and pursue your passion for amateur radio!

The Indianapolis Amateur Radio Association Scholarship is calling all Indiana residents with an active FCC-issued amateur radio license! If you're studying Electrical or Electronics Engineering, Computer Science, or related fields at any postsecondary institution, this scholarship is for you. If no qualified applicant from Indiana is identified, preference will be given to those residing in the ARRL Central Division (Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin). Don't miss out on this opportunity to further your education and passion for amateur radio!

The Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago Academic Scholarship Program offers scholarship funds to help Jewish college and graduate students offset some of their financial burden. To be eligible, applicants must be Jewish, been born and raised in the Chicago metropolitan area*, including Lake County, Indiana or had one continuous year of full-time employment in the Chicago metro area prior to enrollment, intend to return to the Chicago metropolitan area after completing school, and are entering their last two years of an undergraduate program or entering an accredited graduate program in the upcoming academic year. Eligible fields are listed below under "Eligibility Overview." Selected recipients will earn awards worth up to $4,000 each, which are potentially renewable. If you're an incoming Jewish college upperclassmen or graduate student from the Chicago Metropolitan Area or Lake County, Indiana, we encourage you to apply! Keep on reading to learn more.

Introducing the Greater St. Louis Mothers of Twins Club Mary Joan Wolf Memorial Scholarship, an incredible opportunity offering four scholarships to multiple-birth students (e.g. twins, triples, quadruplets, and so on) who are embarking on their post-high school education or training. If you reside in the St. Louis, MO-IL metropolitan statistical areas or the surrounding counties, this scholarship is for you! The Greater St. Louis Mothers of Twins Club, the scholarship provider, is looking for exceptional individuals who excel academically, demonstrate leadership and citizenship, and submit a compelling essay and recommendations. The chosen recipients will receive a generous award of $1,000, split equally between the Fall and Spring semesters. If you are a "multiple-birth" child (twin, triplet, quadruplet, etc.) from Missouri or Illinois, don't miss out on this chance to pursue your dreams! We encourage you to apply.

The Illinois Real Estate Educational Foundation (REEF) is offering Academic Scholarships to support and motivate aspiring real estate professionals. These scholarships are available to students pursuing a career in real estate at any accredited college or university in Illinois. However, bear in mind that each REEF Scholarship has its own criteria for eligibility. Thus, we recommend checking out each scholarship's eligibility criteria before applying. Most of the scholarships require the applicant to be a United States citizen and a resident of the State of Illinois attending school full-time while pursuing a degree with an emphasis in real estate. If you're an Illinois resident interested in a real estate career, we encourage you to apply! The annual deadline falls on April 1st. Apply to take the first step toward your dream career.

The Elaine Chapin Memorial Scholarship Fund honors the legacy of Elaine Chapin by providing financial support to students impacted by multiple sclerosis, whether directly or as a family member. Applications are accepted from November 1st to April 30th, with scholarships up to $1,000 awarded to deserving students. To be eligible, applicants must be US citizens who are currently or will soon be enrolled in an accredited college, university, vocational, or technical school within 300 miles of Elaine Chapin Memorial Scholarship Fund's St. Louis (Missouri) offices. Recipients will be chosen based on financial need, academic standing, and the impact of multiple sclerosis on their lives. If you're an eligible incoming or current post-secondary student whose life has been impacted by multiple sclerosis, we encourage you to apply! Keep on reading to learn more.

The Golden Apple Scholars of Illinois encourages academically talented Illinois students, especially minority students, to pursue teaching careers, especially at high-need, hard-to-staff schools by providing tuition assistance at one of the participating colleges. College underclassmen may qualify for up to $2,500, and college upperclassmen may qualify for up to $5,000. As part of the application process, applicants must agree to teach, on a full-time basis, for a period of not less than five years at nonprofit Illinois preschools, or Illinois public elementary or secondary schools considered a "School of Need." Recipients must begin teaching not more than two years after completing their degree or certificate program, and if this commitment is not fulfilled, the award will convert to a loan requiring repayment with interest. If you're an Illinois postsecondary student enrolled in a course of study leading to teaching licensure, we encourage you to apply! Keep on reading to learn more.

Are you a Jewish high school student from the Chicago metropolitan area wanting to participate in a study abroad program in Israel? If so, consider applying for the Israel Experience High School Scholarship Program! The Israel Experience High School Scholarship Program is open to Jewish high school students living in the Chicago metropolitan area who have applied for a study abroad program in Israel that does not begin until after the scholarship application deadline. The scholarship is offered by the Jewish United Fund, the central philanthropic center of Chicago's Jewish community and one of the largest not-for-profit social welfare institutions in Illinois. The goals of the Jewish United Fund Israel Experience Scholarship Program are to strengthen students' Jewish identities, develop a greater commitment to the Chicago Jewish community, and promote leadership in the Jewish community. The scholarship is offered triannually, with deadlines on March 15th, June 1st, and November 1st of each year. If this sounds like a good opportunity for you, we encourage you to apply!

Are you a college-bound, high school senior passionate about helping your community? If so, consider applying for the Greenhouse Scholars Program! The program is open to residents of Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, New York, and North Carolina planning to attend a four-year university. It is offered by Greenhouse Scholars, is a non-profit organization that seeks to empower young students by providing "personal, professional, and financial resources they need to create lasting change in their own lives and the lives of others, regardless of circumstances." By funding young students' educations, they hope to cultivate leaders and make a difference in communities across the nation. Recipients of the award receive up to $5,000 to help pay for their educational expenses. If this sounds like a good opportunity for you, we encourage you to apply!

The Nick & Helena Patti Foundation Scholarship annually awards up to $6,500 to multiple college sophomores and upperclassmen of Italian heritage who reside in Illinois and were orphaned or raised in a foster home. Preference will be given to students pursuing music as a course of study, but students in any course of study may apply. If you're a college student of Italian heritage from Illinois who was orphaned or raised in a foster home, we encourage you to apply. Keep on reading for more application details!

The Daniel Murphy Scholarship is funded by the Daniel Murphy Scholarship Fund, an organization with a mission to provide financial and educational support Chicago students from underfunded neighborhoods. Each year, the Daniel Murphy Scholarship Fund awards approximately 130 - 140 scholarships worth around $7,500 each to help exceptional, low-income middle school students from Chicago attend college preparatory high schools. These scholarships can be renewed for an additional three years, meaning recipients can earn up to $30,000 total. If this scholarship sounds like a fit for you, we encourage you to apply! Keep on reading for more application details.

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. There are five separate scholarships available: The Acorn Scholarship, Central Illinois Friends Scholarship, Korty & Morton Scholarship, the Luke Scholarship, and the McKeon Scholarship. Just bear in mind that while you may apply to multiple scholarships, they all have separate applications and you may only receive a maximum of one scholarship. The scholarships are all funded by the Acorn Equality Fund, “a grassroots nonprofit organization that provides financial support for the advancement of education, health, and civil rights of LGBTQ+ persons and their allies.”  To find out if you’re from an eligible Illinois county, keep on reading! If you fit the criteria, we encourage you to apply and wish you luck!

Are you a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign student willing to regularly attend Jewish Orthodox prayer services and learning sessions at the university? If so, you might consider applying for the Bernard Heerey Foundation scholarship! Dedicated to supporting students who will lead and support Jewish prayer, Jewish learning, and Jewish practice at the University of Illinois, the scholarship awards $2,000 to multiple students each semester. In order to apply, you must submit an online application in addition to essays detailing your interest in the scholarship and your Jewish leadership experience. However, you do not have to be Orthodox to apply - anyone can! So, if you’re passionate about Judaism and are looking for some help to pay off college costs, we encourage you to apply!