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CME Group Foundation Scholars Program
Deadline to apply: April 3, 2025 3:00 pm CT

CME Group Foundation has established a scholarship program to assist First Generation college students from low income backgrounds who are studying in the fields of Finance or Computer Science and are current or rising undergraduate sophomores, juniors or seniors.

This program is administered by Scholarship America®, the nation’s largest designer and manager of scholarships and other education support programs for corporations, foundations, associations, and individuals. Eligibility for individual programs is determined at the sole discretion of the sponsor, and eligible applications are reviewed by Scholarship America’s evaluation team.

Applicants to the CME Group Foundation Scholars Program must:

  • Be Students in the fields of finance or computer science who demonstrate financial need,
  • Be students who are first-generation college students (the student’s parents or guardians have not completed a 4-year college degree or higher),
  • Be a current or rising undergraduate sophomore, junior or senior student (this includes coverage for students enrolled in a 4+1 combined undergraduate and master’s degree program),
  • Enrolled or planning to enroll full-time at one of the following CME Group Foundation partner schools for the entire upcoming academic year:
  • DePaul University
  • Illinois Institute of Technology
  • Loyola University Chicago
  • National Louis University
  • Northern IL University
  • Southern IL University – Carbondale
  • Stevens Institute of Technology
  • St. Xavier University
  • University of IL – Chicago
  • University of IL Urbana – Champaign
  • Wilbur Wright College – Chicago*
  • Chicago State University – Chicago

*Wilbur Wright College students must be current students in their second year at Wilbur Wright College, planning to attend one of the approved four-year colleges listed above for their Junior and Senior years.

  • Majoring in:
  • Accounting
  • Computer Science
  • Cyber Security
  • Data Science
  • Finance
  • Financial Engineering
  • Information Technology
  • Math
  • Statistics
  • Have a minimum grade point average of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale (or its equivalent);
  • Be willing to participate in a 15-30 minute virtual interview;
  • Be willing to attend a mandatory one-day market education program at CME Group in Chicago in August 2025 to learn about the industry and summer internship opportunities. Recipients will be reimbursed for travel expenses for the day;
  • The use of AI to generate essays or for any part of the application is discouraged.

Awards

If selected as a recipient, the student will receive up to $20,000. Award amounts may vary based on financial need.

Awards are renewable up to three additional years, or until a bachelor’s degree (or 4+1 combined
undergraduate and master’s degree program is earned), whichever occurs first, on the basis of continued full-time enrollment and satisfactory academic performance.

Awards are for undergraduate study only. This includes coverage for students enrolled in a 4+1 combined undergraduate and master’s degree program. Awards may be used for all education-related expenses.

Notification

Applicants will be notified in June.

Payment of Scholarships

Scholarship America processes scholarship payments on behalf of CME Group Foundation. Payments are made in one installment in August.

Selection of Recipients

Scholarship recipients are selected on the basis of:

  • Academic record
  • Demonstrated leadership and participation in school and community activities
  • Work experience
  • A statement of educational and career goals and objectives
  • Unusual personal or family circumstances
  • Essay responses*

Recipients must demonstrate financial need.

Selection of recipients is made by CME Group Foundation. Not all applicants to the program will be selected as recipients. Students may reapply to the program each year they meet eligibility requirements. All applicants agree to accept the decision as final.

*Essay Topics

The use of AI to generate essays or for any part of the application is discouraged.

  • Why have you chosen to pursue a degree in your major and what excites you about that field?
  • What challenges or obstacles in your life will this scholarship help you overcome? How would receiving the CME Group Foundation scholarship help you achieve your educational and career goals?
  • Describe a person or experience that has been a major influence in your life. How has that person or experience influenced your decision to attend college and/or choose your major.

As part of your application, you must upload the following documents:

  • A current, complete transcript of grades. Grade reports are not accepted. Transcripts must display:
    • Student name
    • School name
    • Grades
    • Credit hours for each course and term in which each course was taken.
  • A copy of the family’s first two pages of the most recently filed IRS Form 1040 used for the Financial Information Section of the application. (You must submit the 1040 on which you are claimed.) Please black out all social security numbers and bank account information. If you are an international student, or have special circumstances, please upload a note of explanation.

Your application is not complete unless all required documents are submitted electronically through the Scholarship America Student Hub.

CME Group Foundation has partnered with Scholarship America. Select the button below to be directed to the Scholarship America Student Hub!

Please make sure to add studentsupport@scholarshipamerica.org as well as the program email address provided below in the footer as safe senders in your email contact list.