University of Illinois President's Award Program
Automatically considered
Up to $5,000
Eligibility
Location
Illinois
School
University of Illinois System
Education level
Undergraduate
Year of study
First year
About this scholarship
Illinois resident newly admitted freshmen with outstanding academic achievement are automatically considered for the President's Award Program (PAP). Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents who graduated from an Illinois high school.
Standard PAP awards provide merit scholarship support up to $5,000 per year, renewable for four years with continuous full-time enrollment and in-state tuition assessment. Recipients must maintain a 2.0 GPA.
The program helps the University of Illinois enroll highly capable students from historically underrepresented groups. Eligible students typically have an ACT composite of 25 or higher or a combined SAT score of 1220 or higher.
Essay questions
What else to submit
- No separate application — the University of Illinois application for admission serves as the PAP application
- Automatic selection: once admitted, eligible students receive individual review by the PAP selection committee
- Eligibility based on criteria such as low-income status, first-generation status, or attendance at low-sending high schools
- No separate scholarship application; the University of Illinois admission application is used for PAP review.
- Eligible students are reviewed individually by the PAP selection committee after admission.
- Outstanding academic achievement is required; the source says eligible students typically have an ACT composite of at least 25 or SAT score of at least 1220, but does not establish these as universal minimums.
- Renewal requires continuous full-time enrollment, in-state tuition assessment, and a 2.0 GPA.