Scholarships

Scholarships

A scholarship is a form of gift aid that, in most cases, does not have to be repaid.  Scholarships can be offered by schools, employers, individuals, private companies, nonprofits, communities, religious groups, and professional and social organizations.  While scholarships are typically merit-based, some are based on financial need.

According to a November 2021 article in Forbes, over $100 million in scholarships go unused every year.  Reavis counselors encourage students to research and apply for scholarships to help bring down the out-of-pocket cost of college tuition.

National Scholarships

National scholarships are highly competitive awards that provide opportunities and support for undergraduate and graduate study, research, study abroad, public service, teaching, and employment in non-profits, city and federal government.  They are typically offered by large corporations and hundreds of thousands of students apply each year.  Below is a list of popular national scholarship search websites:

• • Appily

  • BigFuture 

  • Cappex 

  • FastWeb 

  • Going Merry

  • Niche

  • Scholarships.com 

  • Scholly

  • Student Scholarship Search

  • Unigo

State Scholarships

The Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) provides financial aid for college education through the many gift assistance programs that it administers.  Gift assistance is awarded in the form of scholarships, grants, tuition waivers and loan repayment programs.  As an approved participant in any of the gift assistance programs administered by ISAC, postsecondary institutions may receive funds on behalf of eligible students.

• • Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity (ECACE) Scholarship Program

  • Golden Apple Scholars of Illinois

  • Minority Teachers of Illinois (MTI) Scholarship Program

Local Scholarships

Reavis works with several local businesses, organizations and nonprofit foundations that provide scholarship opportunities for our students.  Students can search for and apply for these scholarships in SchooLinks by clicking on Finances, then Scholarship Matching.  Students should complete a Scholarship Match profile and identify local scholarships posted by Reavis by clicking District-Posted in the upper right corner. 

Institutional Scholarships 

Institutional scholarships are offered from the school itself.  Many colleges have a separate scholarship application that students can complete to determine scholarship eligibility.  A few examples of institutional scholarships are listed below:

• • Eastern Illinois University Scholarships

  • Lewis University Scholarships

  • Loyola University Scholarships