Chicago College Scholarships
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the annual cost of attending a four-year college in the United States has risen to more than $18,000 at public institutions and nearly $37,000 at private institutions. That represents a 34% increase since 2003.
That’s made college scholarships more vital than ever to preserve access to higher education and offer more college choices to soon-to-be graduates.
While that’s true across the country, we’ve compiled a list of Chicago college scholarships—available through local organizations and universities—to help students and their parents find the right solution.
College Scholarships for Chicago Students
♦ AKA Imani Pearls Community Development Foundation College Scholarship
Eligibility: African-American seniors from Chicago Public Schools with a GPA of at least 2.85, 40 hours of community service, and residency in Englewood, Hyde Park, Kenwood, Oakland, Bronzeville, Douglas, Grand Boulevard, or Washington Park neighborhoods
Award: One-time $3,000
♦ Chicago Engineers Foundation (CEF) Student Incentive Award
Eligibility: Graduating high school senior with residence or school attendance in Chicago and acceptance into an accredited undergraduate engineering program, as well as a composite ACT score of at least 21 (or its SAT equivalent)
Award: Up to $5,000 over four years
♦ Chicago Public Schools Wentcher Scholars Program
Eligibility: U.S. citizens graduating from Chicago Public Schools with financial need and an unweighted GPA of at least 3.0 and ACT score of at least 20
Award: Up to $10,000 per year for four years
♦ Chicago Roofing Contractors Association Scholarship
Eligibility: High school seniors accepted as full-time students that plan to study liberal arts and sciences, engineering, architecture, or business and reside in Boone, Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, Stephenson, Will, or Winnebago counties
Award: $12,000 over four years
♦ Chicago Star Scholarship
Eligibility: Graduates from Chicago Public Schools with a GPA of at least 3.0 and completion-ready testing in math and English
Award: Free tuition and books for an associate degree at City Colleges of Chicago
♦ Chicago Urban League Scholarship
Eligibility: Enrolled or accepted student in a degree-granting program with a GPA of at least 2.5 on a 4.0 scale and a demonstrated financial need
Award: One time up to $4,000
♦ City Treasurer’s Black History Month Essay Competition
Eligibility: Seniors from Chicago Public Schools planning to enroll in a two- or four- year college with a GPA of at least 2.5 and 50 hours of community service
Award: One-time $2,500
♦ CME Group Mayoral Award for Student Achievement
Eligibility: Seniors from Chicago Public Schools with a GPA of at least 3.0 in math, economics, finance, or accounting classes, attendance above 90%, and a planned career in business or a related field; applicants must be nominated by a principal, counselor, or coach
Award: One-time $1,000
♦ Colonel Henry Crown Scholarship
Eligibility: High school senior with a “B” average who has participated in a Junior Achievement of Chicago high school program
Award: Up to $40,000 over four years
♦ Doty E. Nash Educational Assistance Scholarship
Eligibility: African-American graduating seniors of public or private high schools in the Chicago area
Award: One-time $1,000
♦ Edward and Shirley Calahan Scholarship Fund
Eligibility: Chicago-area high school seniors with a GPA of at least 3.0 who have been accepted into a four-year college or university with financial needs
Award: Up to $5,000 over four years
♦ Fiesta del Sol Guadalupe A. Reyes Scholarship
Eligibility: Latino/a students accepted into or currently attending an accredited college or university with a GPA of at least 2.5, demonstrated community or school service, and financial needs
Applicants must also (1) live in Southwest Chicago between 16th Street and 79th Street and between 4800 West Cicero Avenue and 500 West Canal Street, (2) volunteer for at least 80 hours at Pilsen Neighbors Community Council or Fiesta del Sol, or (3) be sponsored by a member institution of Gamaliel of Metro Chicago
Award: One-time $1,500 scholarship
♦ George M. Pullman Educational Foundation Scholarship
Eligibility: Graduating seniors and Cook County residents accepted into a bachelor’s degree college eligible for Title IV aid, with strong financial needs and a GPA of at least 3.0
Award: Up to $10,000 per year for four years
♦ Gread “Lefty” McKinnis Memorial Scholarship
Eligibility: Male African-American seniors from Chicago with at least 75 hours of community service and acceptance into a two- or four-year college
Award: One-time $1,000
♦ IPLAC Educational Foundation Scholarship
Eligibility: Seniors from Chicago Public Schools in the top 25% of their class planning to major in science, engineering, or pre-law
Award: One time up to $5,000
♦ McKinsey Diverse Young Leaders Scholarship
Eligibility: Hispanic, Latino/a, or African-American students from Chicago Public Schools with an unweighted GPA of at least 3.5 and ACT score of 27 (or SAT score of 1860)
Award: One time up to $5,000
♦ NAAIA Chicago Scholarship
Eligibility: African-American seniors in the Chicago area, with special preference given to those planning a career in insurance, risk management, business, computer science, actuarial science, or finance
Award: One-time $1,000
♦ National Norwegian League Scholarship
Eligibility: College-bound high school seniors of Norwegian ancestry residing in Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, Kendall, McHenry or Will counties
Award: One-time $1,000
♦ OCA-Chicago 2015 Scholarship
Eligibility: Residents of Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Kendall, McHenry, Will, Lake (IL), or Kenosha (WI) counties of Asian or Pacific Islander ethnicity with demonstrated financial needs, a GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, and a strong interest in community service
Award: One-time $30,000 split among 12 recipients
♦ Palumbo Family Foundation Scholarship
Eligibility: U.S. citizens who have lived in Cook, Dupage, Kane, Lake, and Will counties for at least six months, have a GPA of at least 3.0, and an adjusted gross family income of $47,700 or less
Award: One time up to $10,000
♦ Phi Beta Kappa Association of the Chicago Area Scholarship Program
Eligibility: Graduates from Chicago Public Schools
Award: One-time $5,000
♦ Society of Women Engineers Chicago Regional Section Scholarship
Eligibility: Females residing in an Illinois zip code beginning with 600–608, 610–611, or 613, or an Indiana zip code beginning with 463–466 who have an unweighted GPA of at least 3.0 and plan to enter an engineering or computer science program at an accredited college or university
Award: One-time $1,500
♦ Urban Ventures Scholarship
Eligibility: Minority students from Chicago Public Schools with a GPA of at least 3.0 and planned career in business
Award: $1,000 per year for four years
♦ William J. Cook Fund Scholarship
Eligibility: Males living in and attending high school in Cook County with plans to enroll in a four-year college or university
Award: Up to $20,000 over four years
♦ Zeta Zeta Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta, Karen Lynne Harris Memorial Scholarship
Eligibility: Female U.S. citizens from the Chicago area with a GPA of at least 2.5
Award: One-time up to $2,000
Chicago-area College and University Scholarships
Institution |
Location |
Scholarships |
| Aurora University | Aurora, Illinois | Scholarship Information |
| Benedictine University | Lisle, Illinois | Scholarship Information |
| Calumet College of St. Joseph | Whiting, Indiana | Scholarship Information |
| Carthage College | Kenosha, Wisconsin | Scholarship Information |
| Chicago State University | Chicago, Illinois | Scholarship Information |
| Columbia College Chicago | Chicago, Illinois | Scholarship Information |
| Concordia University Chicago | River Forest, Illinois | Scholarship Information |
| DePaul University | Chicago, Illinois | Scholarship Information |
| Dominican University | River Forest, Illinois | Scholarship Information |
| East–West University | Chicago, Illinois | Scholarship Information |
| Elmhurst College | Elmhurst, Illinois | Scholarship Information |
| Governors State University | University Park, Illinois | Scholarship Information |
| Hebrew Theological College | Skokie, Illinois | Scholarship Information |
| Illinois Institute of Technology | Chicago and Wheaton, Illinois | Scholarship Information |
| Judson University | Elgin, Illinois | Scholarship Information |
| Lake Forest College | Lake Forest, Illinois | Scholarship Information |
| Lewis University | Romeoville, Illinois | Scholarship Information |
| Loyola University Chicago | Chicago, Illinois | Scholarship Information |
| Midwestern University | Downers Grove, Illinois | Scholarship Information |
| Moody Bible Institute | Chicago, Illinois | Scholarship Information |
| National Louis University | Chicago, Illinois | Scholarship Information |
| National University of Health Sciences | Lombard, Illinois | Scholarship Information |
| North Central College | Naperville, Illinois | Scholarship Information |
| North Park University | Chicago, Illinois | Scholarship Information |
| Northeastern Illinois University | Chicago, Illinois | Scholarship Information |
| Northern Illinois University | DeKalb, Illinois | Scholarship Information |
| Northwestern University | Evanston, Illinois and Chicago | Scholarship Information |
| Resurrection University | Chicago, Evanston | Scholarship Information |
| Roosevelt University | Chicago, Illinois | Scholarship Information |
| Saint Joseph’s College | Rensselaer, Indiana | Scholarship Information |
| Saint Xavier University | Chicago, Illinois | Scholarship Information |
| School of the Art Institute of Chicago | Chicago, Illinois | Scholarship Information |
| Shimer College | Chicago, Illinois | Scholarship Information |
| St. Augustine College | Chicago, Illinois | Scholarship Information |
| Telshe Yeshiva | Chicago, Illinois | Scholarship Information |
| Trinity Christian College | Palos Heights, Illinois | Scholarship Information |
| Trinity International University | Deerfield, Illinois | Scholarship Information |
| University of Chicago | Chicago, Illinois | Scholarship Information |
| University of Illinois at Chicago | Chicago, Illinois | Scholarship Information |
| University of St. Francis | Joliet, Illinois | Scholarship Information |
| VanderCook College of Music | Chicago, Illinois | Scholarship Information |
| Wheaton College | Wheaton, Illinois | Scholarship Information |
