DHS CCRC - Scholarships

Colleges award scholarships in different ways, and it’s important to understand the distinction between schools that meet full financial need and those that follow a merit-based model. Schools that meet need typically calculate how much a family can contribute and cover the rest with financial aid, but most of these institutions do not offer merit scholarships—or if they do, they reserve them for the very top 1% of applicants. On the other hand, colleges that use a merit model award scholarships based on academic achievement, leadership, or talents, regardless of financial need. The best strategy for earning a merit scholarship is to apply to schools where your academic profile (grades, test scores, rigor of courses) is stronger than the typical admitted student’s, as this makes you a more competitive candidate for their top awards.

DHS Local Scholarships

2025-2026 DHS Local Scholarships

Opens: The last day of semester one finals

Deadline: February 17, 2026

DHS Local Scholarships are provided by various individuals, families and partners in our community. They are need-based, merit-based, and/or service-based, and each scholarship has different requirements. There are 25 scholarships that are ONLY available to the DHS Senior class, which means that the odds of receiving one of them are higher than if you were to apply for a national scholarship. Here is the 2024-25 DHS Local Scholarship "Cheat Sheet", which gives a quick view of the requirements for each scholarship (a new cheat sheet for 2025-2026 will be created in December).

DHS scholarships are hosted by Going Merry. View this tutorial created by Going Merry about how to set-up an account and navigate scholarships. You can also use this link to go directly to DHS Local Scholarships. Note: You must list Deerfield High School in the Education section of your Profile in order to view DHS Scholarships.

Some scholarships require you to attach a Transcript, a Miscellaneous Document to show financial need, and/or a letter(s) of recommendation. In order to upload these documents, go to your Profile, and click on Documents at the very bottom. Here are more directions:

TRANSCRIPT: Download your unofficial transcript from Infinite Campus and save it as a PDF. Click on Documents and then click on Upload Document. Select Transcript from the dropdown menu and upload your transcript. *NOTE: Please do not request an official transcript in the Request Document tab.

MISCELLANEOUS DOCUMENT: You must attach a document demonstrating financial need. The criteria of "financial need considered" means your family might not have enough money to cover all the costs of college. There’s no set income limit—eligibility depends on things like how much your family makes, how big your family is, and how much the college costs. You can upload one of the following:

1. A screenshot of the FAFSA student confirmation page containing your FAFSA SAI (Student Aid Index),

2. Tax forms showing family income,

3. A document stating you are on FRAM,

4. If you are unable to submit any of the above materials, please share a letter explaining circumstances about your family's financial situation, any recent changes, or challenges. The letter must clearly outline your financial need and the reasons you are seeking financial assistance. Be sure to include information about extraordinary expenses (such as medical bills).

LETTER(s) OF RECOMMENDATION: Teachers/Counselors will not give you a physical copy of your letter, so you must request it. Click on Documents and then click on Request Document. Select Request a Recommendation Letter. Enter your recommender’s email address and you may write a message to your recommender as well. Once your letter has been uploaded by your recommender, you will not be able to read the letter but you will be able to see your letter has been uploaded to your profile.

TIP: Some scholarships require you to input certain information in your profile. If you do not have information to report, please write “N/A” so that it can be marked as complete.

If you have any questions, please contact the CCRC at dhsccrc@dist113.org.

Scholarship Search TIPS

Look for institutional scholarships first. Scour your prospective colleges’ websites for scholarships that match you. You will be far more likely to get these scholarships than ones you find in a national college search, and these scholarships are typically higher dollar amounts than you see with other scholarships. Also, while some colleges invite students to apply to specific scholarships based on the quality of their applications, many do not. Seek out scholarships through your colleges and don’t be shy about calling the financial aid office. Just don’t call until you’ve filed the FAFSA and checked online.
Think local. DHS Local Scholarships (above), Community Foundation Scholarships, Federal agencies, State agencies, your library's reference section, Rotary Clubs, Kiwanis Clubs, Lions Clubs, Chamber of Commerce, local foundations, religious organizations or community organizations, or civic groups. Explore local businesses, parents’ places of employment, organizations (including professional associations) related to your field of interest. This takes some work and the amounts are often a few hundred dollars, but if you apply you have stronger chances of receiving a local scholarship than a national scholarship.
Try these free resources to help you search for national scholarships: MaiaLearning's Scholarship search, Appily, Bold, College Board, CollegeExpress, FastWeb, Finaid (with information about scams to avoid), Going Merry, Lendedu, Scholarful, ScholarshipAmerica, Unigo, & Illinois Scholarship Directory (a list of 100+ vetted scholarships for students across the state, broken down by month).
Do NOT pay for a scholarship search for any website or individual. You should not have to pay money to get money. Scams exist. Avoid them.
No scholarship is too small. They all add up.
Apply for at least 5 times as many scholarships as you hope to receive. You are likely not the only qualified student to find a scholarship so don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Also realize that there are so many scholarships out there...you will never be able to apply to everything, so give yourself grace in this process.
Set realistic goals. Keep in mind that there are more scholarships available than you could ever have time to apply for. It’s impossible to apply for every scholarship you qualify for. Dedicate specific blocks of time to focus on completing scholarship applications instead of focusing on the number of scholarship applications you complete.
Keep in mind that private scholarships (those not funded by the government or your prospective college) may not always increase your total financial aid package. Colleges typically apply these scholarships in one of two ways: either they reduce the amount of loans or work-study you need, or they reduce your grants. Research indicates- that in the 2019 school year, only 15% of college students received a private grant or scholarship. Research shows that, on average, private scholarships make up only about 5% of the financial aid students receive, with half of schools reporting 3% or less. While winning an outside scholarship is a great achievement, it's important to keep in mind that it may only cover a small portion of your overall college costs.
Finally, make sure you have a financial likely college on your list. A "financial likely" college is a school that is expected to be affordable for a student based on their family's financial situation. This determination is made by using the college's net price calculator, an online tool that provides an estimate of the actual cost of attending that institution after accounting for financial aid, grants, scholarships, and other forms of financial support. By inputting specific financial information and the student's academic profile, students and their families can gauge whether a college will be financially feasible and align with their budget.

Additional Resources

Jeff Levy: Need Based and Merit Based list
Jeff Selingo: A new way to think about your college list: the Buyers and Sellers
Ethan Sawyer: Paying for College

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