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!

2021 CFNIL Scholarship Program Overview video

 

 

 

 

 

 

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. 

Questions? Need help getting started? Contact Gabrielle!

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

CFNIL Administered Scholarships

Status Scholarship Name Type Region Schools Deadline
Closed Cheri Nordenberg Greenlee Memorial Scholarship Current College Student, Financial Need, GED Recipient, High School Graduate Boone Co., Northern IL, Ogle Co., Stephenson Co., Winnebago Co. Any post-secondary, Any public or private high school Not accepting applications in this school year
Closed Jouris Family Scholarship Academics, Graduating High School Senior, Mathematics, Physical Sciences Winnebago Co. Not accepting applications in this school year
Closed Larry and Betty McGee Scholarship Community Service, Computer Science, Current College Student, Engineering, Financial Need, GED Recipient, Sciences, Technology Winnebago Co. Not accepting applications in this school year
Closed My Heart is in Art Scholarship Academics, Arts, Education, Graduating High School Senior, Visual Arts Boone Co., Stephenson Co., Winnebago Co. Not accepting applications in this school year
Closed Nathaniel Martin "Scared Man Can't Win" Memorial Scholarship African American, Community Service, Graduating High School Senior, High School Graduate, Male Rockford Public High Schools Not accepting applications in this school year
Closed Jan Stringer Scholarship Financial Need, Medical, Medical Sciences, Nursing, STEM Boone Co., Ogle Co., Stephenson Co., Winnebago Co. Any post-secondary, Any public or private high school Not accepting applications in this school year
Closed Howard D. Colman Scholarship Academics, Computer Science, Engineering, Graduating High School Senior, Technology Boone Co., Winnebago Co. January 4
Open Early Childhood Educators Scholarship Education, GED Recipient, Non-Traditional Boone Co., Winnebago Co. February 1
Open Zeta Chapter Memorial Award Academics, Female, Graduating High School Senior, Teaching Boone Co., Winnebago Co. February 1
Open Leonard D. Carmichael Community Service Scholarship Community Service, Financial Need, Graduating High School Senior Rochelle HS February 1
Open Paul and Ruth Neidhold Business Scholarship Business, Graduating High School Senior Harvard HS February 1
Open Elsie Jefko Carlson Scholarship Financial Need Winnebago Co. Any post-secondary, Any public or private high school February 1
Open Lieutenant Kelli Ingardona Memorial Scholarship Current College Student, Financial Need, Fire Science, GED Recipient, High School Graduate Boone Co., Ogle Co., Winnebago Co. February 1
Open Era L. and Frances L. Walker Scholarship Academics, African American, Community Service, Graduating High School Senior, Male Rockford Public Schools February 1
Open Fred Peterson, Jr. Memorial Scholarship Academics, Civic Engagement, Community Service, Current College Student, Graduating High School Senior, High School Graduate, Non-Traditional Hononegah HS February 1
Open Margaret T. Craig Community Service Scholarship Community Service, Current College Student, GED Recipient, High School Graduate, Renewable Winnebago Co. February 1
Open Ernest and Charlene Stachowiak Memorial Scholarship Current College Student, Financial Need, Non-Traditional February 1
Open May-Cassioppi Scholarship Athletics, Financial Need, Graduating High School Senior Guilford HS February 1
Open Frances Grant Triebel Memorial NSDAR Scholarship Academics, Financial Need, Graduating High School Senior, High School Graduate U of I at Urbana-Champaign February 1
Open Winnebago County Veterans Association Scholarship Graduating High School Senior Winnebago Co. Any post-secondary February 1
Open Mike Lindberg Memorial Scholarship Community Service, Financial Need, Graduating High School Senior North Boone HS February 1
Open Gary S. Wilmer / RAMI Music Scholarship GED Recipient, Graduating High School Senior, High School Graduate, Music Boone Co., Ogle Co., Winnebago Co. February 1
Open Daniel Edwards Memorial Scholarship Financial Need, Non-Traditional, Trade Union, Vocational Studies Ogle Co. February 1
Open Nancy Kalchbrenner Scholarship Academics, Financial Need, Graduating High School Senior, Non-Traditional Rockford Public High Schools February 1
Open Gene Bradford Memorial Scholarship Education, Graduating High School Senior, High School Graduate, Sciences Byron HS February 1

Other Scholarships

Status Scholarship Name Type Region Schools Deadline
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 7
Closed Richard J. Schnell Memorial Scholarship Current College Student, Dental, Financial Need, Graduating High School Senior, High School Graduate, Non-Traditional June 7
Closed Helen R. (Finley) Loescher and Stephen B. Loescher Scholarship Arts, Education, Graduating High School Senior Freeport HS February 1
Open Joan Stonecipher Scholarship Current College Student, Dance, Graduating High School Senior, High School Graduate, Non-Traditional Greater Rockford Rolling
Open Bonnie Sorenson Scudder Scholarship Education, Female, Graduating High School Senior, Teaching Harvard HS February 1
Open Chief David G. Bailey Fire Science Scholarship Fire Science, Firefighter, High School Graduate Boone Co., Ogle Co., Stephenson Co., Winnebago Co. Rolling
Open La Voz Latina Scholarship Academics, Graduating High School Student, Hispanic Boone Co., Jo Daviess Co., Stephenson Co., Winnebago Co. January 14
Open Soil and Water Stewardship Scholarship Academics, Conservation, GED Recipient, Graduating High School Senior, High School Graduate NE Illinois February 15
Open Kari Lotko Memorial Scholarship St. Rita Graduates Boylan Catholic HS Rolling