College Scholarships

Every June, CCH awards $4,000 scholarships, renewable through college, to at least five graduating seniors who experienced homelessness while in high school.

Applications for the 2025-26 school year are now open! The deadline to apply is Friday, April 11, 2025 at 5 PM central time.

Apply online here

OR

Complete and send these following forms:

• Scholarship Application Form 2025 (fillable)
• Background Info & Essays Form 2025 (fillable)
• McKinney Vento Certification 2025 (fillable)

Who is eligible to apply for the 2025-26 school year?

• High school seniors who will graduate from a Chicago or suburban high school during the 2024-25 school year, by June 2025. This includes suburban Cook County, as well as the collar counties (DuPage, Kane, Lake, Will, and McHenry Counties).

OR

• a youth leader who is active with CCH (no older than 24)
• a former youth client of the CCH Law Project (no older than 24)

Undocumented students are welcome to apply.

Every applicant must have:

• Experienced homelessness, living in a shelter, on the street, in a car, or other public place, or doubled-up in someone else’s home.
• Been admitted to or enrolled in an accredited 2-year or 4-year public or private college or university for the 2025-26 school year as of April 11, 2025. Scholarships will not be awarded to attend for-profit schools.
• A cumulative, weighted high school or college GPA of 2.5 or higher.
• Filed a completed FAFSA (standard college financial aid form) application by April 11, 2025, unless a student applying cannot apply for FAFSA because of immigration status.

Application Procedure

The application must be fully completed by the applicant and received by April 11, 2025 at 5 PM. An electronic or paper version of the application is available at www.chicagohomeless.org/scholarship-application. Typed answers are strongly preferred. If submitting a paper application electronically, please submit in PDF format. Do not write essay answers that are longer than the listed word limits.

All of the following materials must also be received via email or mail by April 11, 2025 at 5 PM:

• A copy of the student’s 4-year high school transcript and/or a college transcript.
• Completed background information section and answers to all essay questions.
• Two (2) letters of recommendation from individuals with direct knowledge of the
  applicant’s abilities, accomplishments, and potential. One recommendation must be from a teacher, or other school personnel. The other recommendation does not need to be connected to school, as long as it is not a relative or friend. Recommendations must be signed, and on school/organization letterhead.
• Using our certification form, the applicant’s homeless or formerly homeless status must be verified by a homeless school liaison or service/shelter provider.
• Documentation of any other scholarships/financial aid received to date (if applicable).