Scholarships

90+ Unique Scholarships, Just ONE Application!

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.

Access the CFNIL Scholarship Application Portal

Need help getting started? View the Scholarship Program Overview video below AND visit the Scholarship Resources page to learn how to apply!

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.

The 2022 CFNIL Scholarship Recipients have been announced!

View the full list of recipients and learn more about the 2022 CFNIL Scholars.

Questions? Need help getting started? Contact Gabrielle!

Gabrielle Sims
Scholarship Associate
Phone: 779-210-8209
Email: Gabrielle Sims

CFNIL Administered Scholarships

Scholarship Name Contains

Scholarship Type

Status	Scholarship Name	Type	Region	Schools	Deadline
Closed	Zeta Chapter Memorial Award	Academics, Female, Graduating High School Senior, Teaching	Boone Co., Winnebago Co.		February 1
Closed	WoTM Scholarship	GED Recipient, Graduating High School Senior, High School Graduate, Manufacturing, Vocational Studies	Boone Co., Ogle Co., Rock Co., Stephenson Co., Winnebago Co.		February 1
Closed	WoTM Ruthann Gaston Women in Engineering Scholarship	Current College Student, Engineering, Female, Graduating High School Senior, High School Graduate, Renewable	Boone Co., Ogle Co., Stephenson Co., Winnebago Co.		February 1
Closed	Winnebago County Veterans Association Scholarship	Graduating High School Senior	Winnebago Co.	Any post-secondary	February 1
Closed	William R. Durham Drama/Theater Scholarship	Academics, GED Recipient, Graduating High School Senior, High School Graduate, Teaching, Theater	Boone Co., Winnebago Co.		February 1
Closed	William Pigott Memorial Scholarship	Academics, Engineering, Graduating High School Senior	Boone Co., McHenry Co., Winnebago Co.		February 1
Closed	William J. Galaway Library and Information Science Scholarship	Academics, Current College Student, GED Recipient, Graduating High School Senior, High School Graduate, Library Sciences, Non-Traditional	Boone Co., Ogle Co., Stephenson Co., Winnebago Co.		February 1
Closed	Willard J. Corbett & Alice C. Corbett Scholarship	Financial Need, Graduating High School Senior	Winnebago Co.		February 1
Closed	Wilbur and William Cummings Memorial Scholarship	Civic Engagement, Dental, Financial Need, Graduating High School Senior, High School Graduate, Medical, Medical Sciences, Nursing, Renewable	Belvidere		February 1
Closed	Walter K. Raczynski Family Scholarship	Academics, Financial Need, Graduating High School Senior, Renewable	Boone Co., Winnebago Co.		February 1
Closed	Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 984 Scholarship	Descendant of Vietnam Veterans, GED Recipient, Graduating High School Senior, High School Graduate	Boone Co., Winnebago Co.		February 1
Closed	University of Michigan Scholarship	Academics, Current College Student, GED Recipient, Graduating High School Senior, Non-Traditional		University of Michigan	February 1
Closed	Tyler Kinison Memorial Scholarship	Academics, Current College Student, Financial Need, Fire Science, Firefighter, GED Recipient, Non-Traditional	Boone Co., Ogle Co., Winnebago Co.		June 3
Closed	Terrance Freeman Sr. Memorial Scholarship	Academics, Current College Student, Financial Need, Fire Science, Firefighter, GED Recipient, Non-Traditional	Boone Co., Ogle Co., Winnebago Co.		June 3
Closed	Taus Community Endowment Scholarship	African American, Community Service, Female, Graduating High School Senior	Winnebago Co.		February 1
Closed	Susan Kay Munson Gilmore Memorial Scholarship	Financial Need, Graduating High School Senior, High School Graduate, Vocational Studies		Guilford HS, Mendota Township HS	February 1
Closed	Sorensen Memorial Theater Scholarship	Academics, Community Service, Financial Need, Graduating High School Senior, Theater	Boone Co., Winnebago Co.		February 1
Closed	Sorensen Memorial Music Scholarship	Academics, Community Service, Financial Need, Graduating High School Senior, Music	Boone Co., Winnebago Co.		February 1
Closed	Sorensen Memorial Engineering Scholarship	Academics, Community Service, Engineering, Financial Need, Graduating High School Senior	Boone Co., Winnebago Co.		February 1
Closed	Sorensen Memorial Architecture Scholarship	Academics, Architecture, Community Service, Financial Need, Graduating High School Senior	Boone Co., Winnebago Co.		February 1
Closed	Senior Memorial Scholarship	Academics, Financial Need, Graduating High School Senior		Rockford Public High Schools	February 1
Closed	Roger L. Ekstrom Memorial Scholarship	Academics, Athletics, Graduating High School Senior		Guilford HS	February 1
Closed	Rockton Lions Club Scholarship	Academics, Community Service, Financial Need, Graduating High School Senior		Hononegah HS	February 1
Closed	Rockford Products Corporation Foundation Scholarship	Business, Community Service, Engineering, Financial Need, Graduating High School Senior, High School Graduate	Boone Co., Ogle Co., Stephenson Co., Winnebago Co.		February 1
Closed	Rockford Historical Society Scholarship	Graduating High School Senior	Rockford		February 1

Other Scholarships

Status	Scholarship Name	Type	Region	Schools	Deadline
Closed	Soil and Water Stewardship Scholarship	Academics, Conservation, GED Recipient, Graduating High School Senior, High School Graduate	NE Illinois		February 15
Closed	La Voz Latina Scholarship	Academics, Graduating High School Student, Hispanic	Boone Co., Jo Daviess Co., Stephenson Co., Winnebago Co.		January 14
Open	Kari Lotko Memorial Scholarship	St. Rita Graduates		Boylan Catholic HS	Rolling
Open	Joan Stonecipher Scholarship	Current College Student, Dance, Graduating High School Senior, High School Graduate, Non-Traditional	Greater Rockford		Rolling
Closed	Helen R. (Finley) Loescher and Stephen B. Loescher Scholarship	Arts, Education, Graduating High School Senior		Freeport HS	March 25
Closed	Diane Thompson-Wells Memorial Scholarship	Current College Student, Financial Need, Graduating High School Senior, High School Graduate, Non-Traditional, Phantom Regiment Members in the U.S.	USA		June 3
Open	Chief David G. Bailey Fire Science Scholarship	Fire Science, Firefighter, High School Graduate	Boone Co., Ogle Co., Stephenson Co., Winnebago Co.		Rolling
Closed	Bonnie Sorenson Scudder Scholarship	Education, Female, Graduating High School Senior, Teaching		Harvard HS	March 18