Collens Scholars Program at Illinois Tech 2025

Summary

• Application DeadlineNovember 15, 2024
• Study LevelUndergraduate
• SponsorIllinois Tech
• City to studyIllinois
• School to studyIllinois Tech
• Eligible CountryUnited States

Table of Content

• Overview
• Benefits
• Requirments
• Application Deadline
• How To Apply

Programme Overview

Illinois Tech established the Collens Scholarship—now part of The Chicago Difference, an Illinois Tech initiative—to benefit Chicago Public Schools and charter high school students across Chicago entering Illinois Tech. 

The Collens Scholars come to Illinois Tech from public and charter high schools across Chicago, bringing greater knowledge and understanding of the communities around them. They are some of the strongest and most dedicated students in the city and on our campus.

Benefits

• Full-tuition and fee scholarship, renewable annually. This scholarship covers tuition and mandatory fee increases each year.
• Housing scholarship of up to $2,000. It is competitive and offered to students who demonstrate a high standard of academic excellence, social service, and a desire to pursue a high-quality educational experience.

Requirements

• Graduate from a Chicago public/charter high school; transfer students are not eligible.
• Demonstrate significant financial need with Pell Grant eligibility through the FAFSA.
• Be a United States citizen or permanent resident.
• Complete verification process with the Office of Financial Aid.

All majors are open to receive the Collens Scholarship. Most Collens Scholars have ACT scores that range from a 23–30, have an average weighted grade-point average of a 3.9, or rank in the top 10 percent of their class.

PLEASE NOTE: The Collens Scholarship cannot be combined with other Illinois Tech merit scholarships such as Elevate, Heald, FIRST Robotics, VEX Robotics, Duchossois, Crown, Leadership Academy, Chicago Police and Fire, Camras, and more. If a student earns multiple Illinois Tech merit scholarships throughout the admission process, the university will award the highest merit award for which the student is qualified but will not combine multiple awards.

The Collens Scholarship covers costs for the bachelor's degree program only. If a student chooses to pursue an accelerated master's degree at Illinois Tech, they can apply their original Heald Scholarship award towards their tuition for graduate-level courses at the undergraduate tuition rate.

Application Deadline

How To Apply

• Apply via the Early Decision or Early Action application deadline
• Submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by January 15, using Illinois Tech's FAFSA code: 001691

For more details visit: Illinois Tech webpage.