St. Elizabeth Health Foundation is dedicated to addressing health care needs in St. Clair County and Madison County, Illinois by sponsoring health care occupations scholarships to qualified students of that area. This scholarship program has been established to assist only students enrolled in a recognized health care occupation program at an accredited institution.
The 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. This is a competitive process and winners will be selected by St. Elizabeth Health Foundation.
The Sisters of Divine Providence, an organization of religious Catholic nuns, purchased St. Elizabeth Hospital, Granite City, IL, in 1921, and were the sole sponsor of that institution until January 1, 2002. As the Hospital’s scope of clinical services increased, the name of the institution was changed to St. Elizabeth Medical Center. In the mid-1990s, the Sisters formed St. Elizabeth Health Foundation; the income to be used to support the care of the needy and promote health care.
In 2001, the Sisters of Divine Providence concluded they could not continue to sponsor the Medical Center and sold it to CHS/Community Health Systems, Inc. and the facility is now operational as “Gateway Regional Medical Center”. In August, 2002, the Sisters elected to withdraw as sponsor of the Foundation and it was placed under a Board of Directors consisting of community leaders.
The Foundation joined the Ladies Auxiliary of Gateway Regional Medical Center as a Supporting Organization. In November, 2012, the Foundation recognized the success of its financial portfolio and concluded a more significant and enduring program could be provided. Hence, the Board determined the “It Starts Here Foundation”, a 501 (c)(3) organization, and a subsidiary of Southwestern Madison County Chamber of Commerce, would provide it with a common goal to benefit residents in Illinois Madison and St. Clair Counties.
More than $600,000 in medical scholarships have been awarded since 2013 to students from Madison and St. Clair Counties in Illinois. One scholarship is named in honor of former Congressman Jerry Costello. St. Elizabeth Health Foundation welcomes donations to increase medical scholarships. Such contributions are deductible as a 501 (c)(3) organization.
Visit the St. Elizabeth’s Health Foundation’s Facebook page for more information!
St. Elizabeth Health Foundation is dedicated to addressing health care needs in Southwestern Madison County and St. Clair County, Illinois by sponsoring health care occupation scholarships to qualified students in that area. This scholarship program has been established to assist only students enrolled in a recognized health care occupation program at an accredited institution.
Applicants must meet all of the following criteria:
Awards ranging from $2,000 to $15,000 will be granted. St. Elizabeth Health Foundation anticipates awarding several scholarships annually, including the Foundation’s Jerry Costello Healthcare Scholarship Award, the Leo Konzen Award, the Mel Wilmsmeyer Award, the Earl Buenger Award, the Joe Glik Award, and the Ted Eilerman Award. The number of awards and their amounts shall be at the sole discretion of the Board of Directors of the Foundation. Applicants shall disclose all other known grants and financial awards to be received for the upcoming academic year in their application.
Awards are not renewable; however, students may reapply to the program each year they meet eligibility requirements.
Awards are for undergraduate and graduate study only and may be used for qualified education-related expenses only (tuition, fees, books, and required supplies/equipment). Award amounts may be adjusted if the award exceeds the cost of qualified education-related expenses.
Recipients will be required to provide St. Elizabeth Health Foundation with a recent photo and sign an agreement indicating they may publish their name, photo, and amount of their award.
Scholarship recipients are selected on the basis of:
Financial need is not considered.
Selection of recipients is made by the St. Elizabeth Health Foundation Board of Directors. All applicants agree to accept the decision as final.
Applicants will be notified in early June. Not all applicants to the program will be selected as recipients. Students may reapply to the program each year they meet eligibility requirements.
Scholarship America processes scholarship payments on behalf of St. Elizabeth Health Foundation. Payment is made in August.
As part of your application, you must upload the following:
NOTE: If you are providing SAT or ACT test scores, and those scores are not listed on your high school transcript, you will need to upload a copy of your test score report(s) separately. If you are uploading a college transcript, those scores are not required.
One online recommendation form must be submitted on your behalf no later than April 24, 2025 3:00 pm Central Time.
Your application is not complete unless all required materials are submitted electronically.
