Seniors, find your college match with the Chi-Rise Scholarship. It’s more than help paying for college. You’ll be connected with expert partners and a supportive community to help you thrive in college and graduate ready for what’s next. Chi-Rise Scholars receive awards of between $1,250-$6,000 annually, matched to the type of college they decide to attend.
Please click and read through each tab below regarding Eligibility, Awards, Required Documents and FAQ’s for the program before applying for the scholarship.
Students who have previously received a Chi-Rise Scholarship and wish to renew will receive an invitation to renew their scholarship in January 2024 and do not need to complete a new application.
New applicants to the Chi-Rise Scholarship Program must:
Awards
Awards will be granted as follows:
Awards are renewable up to six years (for seven years of total funding) or until a bachelor’s degree is earned (whichever occurs first) on the basis of satisfactory academic performance. Students must maintain a cumulative unweighted grade point average of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale and earn credits on pace for timely graduation.
Awards are for undergraduate study only.
As a competitive scholarship program, not all applicants will receive awards.
Additional Benefits
Students receiving the scholarship are encouraged to sign up for an advisor to help them throughout their college journey. Advisors support students in selecting classes, finding academic and other supports when needed, renewing their scholarship, and much more. Advising is provided by Chi-Rise partner programs – Bottom Line and One Million Degrees – at no cost to scholarship recipients or their families. Information on how to sign-up for a college advisor through a Chi-Rise partner program will be provided to scholarship recipients when they receive notice of their award. Note that in order to take advantage of this additional benefit, scholarship recipients will need to sign up for an advisor before starting their first year of college or university.
The Chi-Rise Scholarship program has an affiliated Emergency Aid program for Chi-Rise recipients actively enrolled in undergraduate study. Should you find yourself in a situation where you need immediate financial assistance for housing, food, car repairs (to travel to and from campus), other transportation, health care, certain utilities, or other eligible expenses, you may apply for funding. The emergency aid program will be available beginning on or after October 1, 2024. Apply Here.
Selection of Recipients
Your submitted application will be evaluated by Scholarship America. Scholarship America will consider your overall application, including your academic and personal background along with your future plans and special circumstances to determine awards. We encourage all eligible students to apply.
Notification
Applicants will be notified in April 2024 whether or not they have received the Chi-Rise scholarship.
Payment of Scholarships
Scholarship award checks are sent to recipients in late July. Scholarship award checks will be sent by Scholarship America directly to scholarship recipients via regular U.S. mail to the address provided in the scholarship application. (Please note: Scholarship award checks are NOT sent directly to the recipients’ college or university.)
Checks are made out to the institution the recipient is enrolling in and recipients are responsible for delivering the award check to the financial aid department of your college or university. Award checks cannot be cashed personally by recipients.
All required documents must be submitted electronically for your application to be complete.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Am I eligible to apply for the Chi-Rise Scholarship?
Students with a 2.5 GPA or higher who are graduating in 2024 from the following Chicago Public Schools are eligible to apply:
2. I am an undocumented student. May I apply for this scholarship?
Yes, there are no citizenship requirements that are part of eligibility or the application process.
3. What is the deadline to submit my scholarship application?
You must submit your application through the Scholarship America Hub portal by February 21, 2024 3:00 pm Central Time.
4. What contact information should I use when applying on the Scholarship America Hub?
We recommend applicants use a permanent email (hotmail, gmail, yahoo, etc.) and a mobile phone number when completing their Hub profile instead of school email (@cps.edu) or phone number that they may lose access to in the future.
5. How much scholarship money am I eligible for?
Scholarships are based on the type of college students enroll in for the fall 2024 semester:
6. What college expenses can the scholarship be applied to?
This scholarship is designed to support the Cost of Attendance at your higher education institution. For most colleges and universities, this includes tuition, fees, and room and board.
7. Is this scholarship renewable next year?
Awards are renewable up to three years (for four years of total funding) or until a bachelor’s degree is earned, whichever occurs first, on the basis of satisfactory academic performance.
Students must maintain a cumulative unweighted grade point average of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale and earn credits on pace for timely graduation.
8. Am I able to defer my scholarship if I need to?
All deferral requests must be submitted to Scholarship America in writing and will be reviewed within five business days and be granted or denied in writing. Common reasons for deferment include:
Deferrals will only be granted for up to two academic years. If a deferral is granted, students must use the award within six years of the original award date or the award will be forfeited.
9. How will the scholarship application be evaluated?
Submitted information will be evaluated by Scholarship America. Scholarship America will consider all application materials including academic and personal background, future plans and special circumstances to grant awards. We encourage all eligible students to apply.
10. Are there parts of the application I must fill out? Are there any sections that are optional?
When you begin the application, any question with a * is required. Any field without a * is optional, though we encourage you to complete as much of the application as possible.
11. What documents do I need to provide as part of my application?
You will need to upload a current, complete transcript of grades. Grade reports are not accepted. Unofficial or online transcripts must display student name, school name, grades and credit hours for each course, and term in which each course was taken.
12. What if I don’t have a required document?
Please contact your high school or postsecondary counselor if you need help finding a copy of a required document.
13. Will I receive support during college?
Chi-Rise encourages you to explore and consider joining support programs such as Bottom Line or One Million Degrees so you have the benefit of continuous support through your college experience, but you don’t have to in order to get the scholarship. You know best what you need, so the decision is up to you. You are also encouraged to take advantage of on-campus supports such as academic coaching, mentoring, counseling, and tutoring.
14. What if I don’t know how to answer specific, required questions?
Do your best to answer questions and provide an answer for any required question. For example, the application will ask about your intended college major. Feel free to indicate ‘Undecided’. Choosing ‘Undecided’ will not affect your scholarship chances.
You may also contact Scholarship America at chi-rise@scholarshipamerica.org with questions.
15. Can I apply my scholarship to any college or university I want to?
No. The Chi-Rise Scholarship can only be used to pay for public two-year community colleges or public or nonprofit four-year colleges or universities. You may not use the Chi-Rise Scholarship at a for-profit institution (such as DeVry University or University of Phoenix) or at a vocational school (such as Career Training Center of Chicago or the Universal Technical Institute).
16. How do I get the scholarship money applied to my college account?
The check for your scholarship will be made payable to the college you have told us you’re attending. It will be mailed to you at the home address we have on file in July. You must bring the check to the Bursar’s office at your college, give them the physical check, and make sure they apply it to your account. Once you do this, you should be able to see the credit in the financial section of your student portal.
Don’t try to deposit the check in your own bank account! It won’t work.
17. What do I do if I lose my check?
Any questions or problems that arise after your acceptance can be directed to Scholarship America. You may contact them at chi-rise@scholarshipamerica.org.
18. Once I start college, what if I need additional financial help?
The Chi-Rise Scholarship program also has an affiliated Emergency Aid program for current undergraduate students. Should you find yourself in a situation where you need immediate financial assistance for housing, food, car repairs (to travel to and from campus), other transportation, health care, or certain utilities, you may be eligible for additional support. The emergency aid program will be available beginning on or after October 1, 2024, at https://learnmore.scholarsapply.org/chi-riseaid/.
19. What if I struggle with keeping my GPA above a 2.0?
Take advantage of the many support opportunities on your campus. Your college advisor and peers can direct you to student services such as the writing center, academic coaching, and more.
20. What is the process for getting my scholarship renewed next year?
A renewal form will be sent electronically to you via the email address we have on file in mid-January. Your award is renewable for up to three years or until a bachelor’s degree is earned, whichever occurs first. You may receive this award for a total of four years, provided you continue to meet the eligibility requirements. Renewal is based on maintaining satisfactory academic performance (maintaining a cumulative 2.0 grade point average on a 4.0 scale) and earning credits on pace for timely graduation.
21. Who do I go to when I have questions about different aspects of the Chi-Rise Scholarship?
For questions about the application process, when you’ll be notified, or when to expect your check, please contact Scholarship America at chi-rise@scholarshipamerica.org.
For questions about your college applications and choosing the best match college for you, please contact your high school counselor.
For questions about connecting with a College Success Partner, please contact the
Chi-Rise team at chi-rise@crown-chicago.com or Bottom Line or One Million Degrees directly.
