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FINANCIAL AID
Financial Aid is money that the government and other organizations give you or lend you so you can pay for college. To qualify for Financial Aid, you must apply. Financial aid comes from the federal government (the largest source), state governments, colleges and universities, private organizations (such as companies, clubs and religious organizations), and banks and lending companies.
Types of federal financial aid:
Grants—financial aid that doesn't have to be repaid (unless, for example, you withdraw from school and owe a refund)
Work-study—a work program through which you earn money to help you pay for school
Loans—borrowed money for college or career school; you must repay your loans, with interest
Virtual Financial Aid Night Presentation on 10/01/25
Recorded Presentation and Slideshow below.
SCHOLARSHIPS
Many organizations offer scholarships to help students pay for school.
You should never have to pay for a scholarship application or give out financial information (credit card or bank account numbers)
There are no limits on how many scholarships for which you can apply!
Give yourself plenty of time to research and apply for scholarships.
The summer before senior year is a great time to start working on scholarship applications, especially those requiring essays, personal statements and/or resumes.
Below is information on Local Scholarships.
You MUST view the Local Scholarship Information page BEFORE filling out the Local Scholarship Application.
Local Scholarship Application deadline: Thursday, February 19th @ 12:30pm (Applications must be turned into the Counseling Office Secretaries by this time).
SCHOLARSHIP TRANSCRIPTS
If a scholarship requires an official transcript, you must request it via our transcript release form (available at Student Services Office). If the scholarship would like to receive an electronic transcript, our registrar can email a PDF direct to the scholarship. You need to fill out the form and where the form asks for a mailing address, simply provide the scholarship email.
If the scholarship accepts unofficial transcripts, you can download a copy directly from your Schoolinks account (“School”> “Record Requests”> “Download Unofficial Transcript”), or you can email your counselor for a copy.
SCHOLARSHIP SEARCH ENGINES AND PROGRAMS: Fastweb & Scholarships.com (below) allow you to create a profile, identify important criteria, and the sites then provide a list of scholarship opportunities that may fit your wants/needs. others are listed below, depending on specific identifying criteria.
SCHOLARSHIP SEARCH ENGINES AND PROGRAMS: Fastweb & Scholarships.com (below) allow you to create a profile, identify important criteria, and the sites then provide a list of scholarship opportunities that may fit your wants/needs. others are listed below, depending on specific identifying criteria.
Stand Out College Prep Illinois Scholarships: https://www.standoutcollegeprep.com/illinois-scholarships/
Scholar Snapp - A free, simple to use data standard that allows students to reuse their application information - including contact information, essays, transcripts, etc. - from one scholarship application to another thereby streamlining the college scholarship application process.
Fastweb – Create a profile and let fastweb do the research on scholarships, internships colleges and more for you.
CashCourse – Information that helps college students stay financially informed.
Cappex – A free website where you can learn which colleges want you, before you apply and learn about more than $11 billion in merit aid scholarships.
Scholarships.com– A free college scholarship search and financial aid information.
Scholarship America – Provides information and resources for your scholarship search.
HS Finder (Hispanic Scholarship Fund) – Scholarship information for Latino students. *Site is under maintenance* Check back in routinely to see when the site is available again!
Gates Millennium Scholars – Provides outstanding low income African American, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian Pacific Islander American, and Hispanic American students with an opportunity to complete an undergraduate college education in any discipline they choose.
Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund – The nation’s largest non-profit organization devoted to providing college scholarships for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI).
American Indian College Fund – Provides Native American students with scholarships and financial support for the nation’s 33 accredited tribal colleges and universities.
Dell Scholars Program – Recognizes academic potential and determination in students that have a definite need for financial assistance.
UNCF – Awards 10,000 students each year through 400 scholarship and internship programs so that students from low- and moderate-income families can afford college tuition, books and room and board.
Chegg – Provides information on financial literacy for college.
Reagan Foundation Scholarships - Scholarship opportunities for outstanding student leaders.
American Indian Graduate Center & AIGCS - The largest scholarship providers to Native students in the United States, awarding $15 million in scholarships annually and more than $200 million since inception. For almost 50 years, AIGC has funded students pursing undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees in any field of study at any accredited institution of choice, working with over 500 tribes in all 50 states.
National Society of High School Scholars - NSHSS and its partners offer more than $2,000,000 in scholarships annually. All students are eligible to apply for high school and college scholarships in the areas of academic excellence, entrepreneurship, leadership, literature, medicine, music, STEM, sustainability, visual arts, and more.
https://www.disabled-world.com/disability/education/scholarships-2/ -Scholarships for students with disabilities
https://goingmerry.com/ - Scholarship platform that helps students understand college costs and offers scholarship matching.
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