Scholarships
The College of LAS offers a variety of scholarships in addition to scholarships that departments and units offer. Scholarships on this page are listed by opportunity and audience. If you have any questions, please contact the person located in the appropriate section.
Thank you to all the generous supporters who have contributed to the College of LAS scholarships.
Incoming LAS students need not apply for scholarships; if you are an admitted student to the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, you will be automatically considered for scholarships administered by the college.
The information from your application for admission is used for scholarship consideration. For need-based scholarships, the information you provide on your FAFSA is also used for consideration. To be considered for any need-based scholarships, a FAFSA must be completed.
For general questions on scholarships, please view our incoming student scholarship FAQ page or contact las-newstudent@illinois.edu.
All currently enrolled LAS undergraduates who will be continuing as full-time students in the next academic year are encouraged to apply for LAS scholarships using the LAS scholarship application in the spring (students graduating in December may still apply). Unless otherwise noted, recipients are selected through the rating of two short essays in addition to academic merit and financial need consideration when appropriate.
While scholarships are open to all LAS students, additional scholarships are available to students who meet the following criteria. Students with these qualities and interests are especially encouraged to apply:
- Juniors and seniors in STEM majors and are enrolled in the secondary education program
- Students with a sibling or relative with Down Syndrome
- First semester sophomores with 3.25+ GPAs who are/have worked to contribute to supporting themselves
- Juniors and seniors who demonstrate leadership potential in business and entrepreneurship
- Students studying:
- Biological sciences majors
- Economics majors
- Humanities majors
- Physical sciences majors
- Physics majors
- Secondary education minors
Please contact lashonors@illinois.edu with questions.
LAS Abroad scholarships
LAS Abroad scholarships are available for current LAS students who plan to study abroad in an Illinois-approved program.
Scholarship amounts range from $500 to $3,000. Awards are determined based on the cost and length of the study abroad program and availability of funds.
Requirements
- For application: A short essay, statement of financial need, and one letter of recommendation from a faculty member or academic advisor
- Pre-departure: Attend pre-departure course meetings, workshops, and orientation sessions. For semester and academic year students, fulfill all LAS 291 requirements.
- While abroad: Maintain full-time study and bring back equivalent full-time credit hours. Semester and academic year students must complete all required LAS 292 requirements.
- Upon returning to Illinois: Complete LAS Program Evaluation and volunteer for your study abroad program (four hours of volunteer time working with LAS International Programs). Complete a final scholarship project—choose from the following options:
- Write a short essay (500 to 750 words) on the topic of "Now that you have studied abroad, what aspect(s) of your experience do you think will be most impactful on your personal, academic and career paths?"
- Create a Study Abroad Profile for LAS IP to share on our website, fliers, and other materials.
Application deadlines
- Feb. 15 for summer and fall or academic year programs
- Sept. 15 for winter break, spring break, and spring semester programs
Students will be notified of scholarship awards around the same time they are notified of acceptance into a program and no later than Feb. 28 or Sept. 30.
Please contact LAS International Programs with questions.
Life + Career Design scholarships
Life + Career Design scholarships support students’ experiences in professional work with the goal of advancing their career readiness.
Scholarships support students’ living, transportation, and/or other expenses related to engaging in unpaid or underpaid work in an actual work environment. The work may be an internship, undergraduate research experience, extended volunteer experience, or possibly even a part-time job that the student wants to use for their professional development seminar. Students advance their career readiness specifically through an online 1-credit professional development seminar in which they create an e-portfolio to reflect on and describe their preparedness for a career based on their experience in an actual workplace.
James Scholar Preble Research Scholarship
This scholarship provides support to outstanding James Scholars involved in undergraduate research. Junior and senior certified James Scholars in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences are invited to apply.
Scholarships are typically awarded in the amount of $1000, although the Honors Council may adjust the award amount if they deem it to be appropriate for a particular application.
Applicants are encouraged to work with their PI or research advisor on their application. They're asked to provide the following information via the application:
- In 300 words or less, provide a description or abstract of your project. Please include information about the significance of this research to a broader audience and the specific methods you will use to carry out the research. Note that the Honors Council consists of representatives from a variety of disciplines. Please take care to provide a project description that can be understood by a broad audience.
- In 300 words or less, tell us why your project should be funded by the Honors Council. Explain how your research would be enriched by the award, and what the award would support you to do (i.e.travel to present or execute research, provide funding for dedicated research time, etc.).
- If you request a research travel award, include the details of your travel plan. Requests for travel to participate in a conference are welcome, but travel should relate to the current semester.
- Examination fees are not regarded as an eligible expense.
- If you are requesting funds to allow you to have dedicated research time, please address in detail the ways in which your research and experience at Illinois will be enriched by the award.
- Have you received James Scholar Research Support in the past? If so, how was it used, and why should a second award be funded?
- For research travel awards, provide an itemized budget of how the funds will be used including costs of transportation and accommodations. Requests for travel to participate in a conference are welcome, but travel should relate to the current semester.
- If requesting funding for dedicated research time, an itemized budget is not required.
- Examination fees are not regarded as an eligible expense.
- No matter how your funds would be spent, please clearly indicate the following on your budget:
- any other funding you may be receiving,
- how costs exceeding the award will be covered, and
- alternative sources should a James Scholar award not be available.
- No matter how your funds would be spent, please clearly indicate the following on your budget:
- Please attach a resume that includes work experience, campus and community activities, and university honors and awards.
- A letter of reference from the individual advising your research project.
Please note: these scholarships are considered taxable income. What does this mean?
- All scholarships, fellowships and grants paid to U.S. Citizens, Permanent Residents, and Resident Aliens will be reported to the student and the IRS on Form 1098-T for the calendar year in which the payment was made. The University of Illinois System does not report Form 1098-T for Nonresident Aliens unless requested.
- Scholarships, fellowships and grants for unqualified expenses, i.e. room, board, travel, research, non-mandatory fees, books or supplies, are taxable income (refer student to IRS Publication 970). It is the student’s responsibility to determine and report to the IRS taxable scholarships, fellowships and/or grants received.
- The student is responsible for reviewing their Financial Aid Award letter and student account billing statement after the scholarship, fellowship or grant has been paid in order to understand the impact of the payment.
Award cycles occur for fall, spring, and summer
Incoming students in the Access and Achievement Program need not apply for scholarships; if you are an admitted student in AAP, you will be automatically considered for scholarships administered by the program.
The information from your application for admission and from your FAFSA is used for scholarship consideration. To be considered for any AAP scholarships, a FAFSA must be completed.
For general questions on scholarships, please contact las-accessachievement@illinois.edu.
