Northern Illinois Scholarships
Scholarship Sponsored by Community Foundation of Northern Illinois
Applying for scholarships from the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois is easier than ever!
There is just one application and one deadline: the application opens on December 1st and closes February 1st, every year.
CFNIL’s scholarship funds were created by donors that recognize the importance of helping students achieve their educational goals, now and in perpetuity. The funds’ creators selected the criteria based on their interests and the community’s need. Many of CFNIL’s scholarships are memorials, which celebrate the life and passions of individuals.
The diversity of scholarship offerings reflects the diversity of CFNIL’s donors and the communities it serves. The majority of scholarships are for current college students and graduating high school seniors in Boone, Ogle, Stephenson and Winnebago Counties. Scholarships are available based on a variety of factors: community engagement; academic achievement; financial need; athletic participation; field of study; and many more. There are scholarships for non-traditional, minority, and first-generation college students. Nearly two dozen scholarships are available for students who have a high school diploma OR a GED — learn more on the Scholarship Resource page.
The applications are read and scored by committees of volunteers who use a “blind” review process and make recommendations to CFNIL’s Board of Trustees. Scholarship recipients are announced in late April. Awards are sent directly to the recipient’s post-secondary institution.
While the majority of the scholarship funds CFNIL administers are included in the application for the main scholarship cycle (open Dec. 1 – Feb 1 each year), several additional scholarships run on a different timeline or are administered by outside organizations. The first table below lists the standard CFNIL Scholarships. The second table at the bottom of the page lists the non-standard scholarships; click on each scholarship name for details on how to apply for these non-standard scholarships.
Go to Scholarship ApplicationThe $2,000 Sallie Mae Scholarship is only open to legal...
View Details Be Bold Scholarship - $25,000The "Be Bold" Scholarship is a no-essay scholarship that will...
View Details Big Future Scholarship - $40,000The Scholarship Program is open to seniors in high school...
View Details ScholarshipOwl No Essay Scholarship - $1,000ScholarshipOwl is your source of relief from the dreaded application...
View Details CollegeXpress Scholarship - $10,000Since 1995, our mission has been to help connect students...
View Details Niche $50,000 Scholarship - $50,000Covering the cost of college expenses for four years without...
View Details SP Scholarship - $2,500The SP College Scholarship program was created to help students...
View Details CX Candy Corn Scholarship - $1,000Since 1995, our mission has been to help connect students...
View Details Cappex Easy Money Scholarship - $1,000The Cappex scholarship application is fast and easy.Scholarship Eligibility: This scholarship...
View Details Niche 2K No Essay College Scholarship - $2,000Niche is the market leader in connecting colleges and schools...
View Details 10 Words or Less Scholarship - $1,000Scholarship Eligibility:A) Anyone who is between the ages of 14-25...
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