Financial Aid

Applying for financial aid

Students interested in financial aid apply through the Financial Aid office of the member university after applying for admission. The first step is usually to file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) available online or from the university’s financial aid offices.  Students reapply for financial aid each year.

Free Financial Aid Workshops

Students and their parents can get help with applying for college financial aid by attending one of a series of free FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) Workshops to be held at locations throughout Lake County from January 14 to March 20. All college-bound high school students and their parents, along with current college students, are invited to attend, no matter where they plan to go to college.

These public workshops are being hosted by the the University Center of Lake County, College of Lake County, the Illinois Student Assistance Commission, Mundelein High School, Round Lake High School, Waukegan High School. the Waukegan Public Library, Saint Martin de Porres High School, and Highland Park High School, with additional support from the Coalition Latinos Unidos de Lake County, the Illinois College Advising Corps, the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office, North Shore Gas, and Trio Educational Talent Search .

In addition to the workshops listed below which are open to the public, Waukegan, North Chicago, and Zion Benton Township High Schools are holding some additional sessions open only to their students.  Download the flyer for all the dates of both public and restricted access workshops.

2012 Free Public Workshops
Saturday, January 14   2 - 4 pm               Waukegan Public Library
Saturday, January 21   9am - noon             Waukegan High School (Brookside)
Thursday, January 26   9am - noon & 6 - 8 pm   College of Lake County (Grayslake)
Saturday, January 28   9am - noon             Saint Martin de Porres High School

Saturday, February 4   9am - noon             Highland Park High School
Saturday, February 11   9am - noon             College of Lake County (Grayslake)
Monday, February 13   6 - 8 pm                 Mundelein High School
Thursday, February 16   6 - 8 pm                 University Center of Lake County (Grayslake)
Saturday, February 18   9am - noon             Round Lake High School
Saturday, February 25   9am - noon             College of Lake County (Lakeshore)

Thursday, March 8     9am - noon             College of Lake County (Grayslake)
Wednesday, March 14 6 - 9 pm                 College of Lake County (Southlake)
Tuesday, March 20     6 - 8 pm                 University Center of Lake County (Grayslake)

Register for the workshop of your choice.

University Center of Lake County Scholarships

• The College of Lake County Alumni Association Scholarship for $1,000 is awarded to one CLC Alumni Association member who enrolls in an undergraduate or graduate program through the University Center of Lake County.  The 2012 application deadline is May 28, 2012.  Click here to read about the 2011 winner.
• North Park University School of Adult Learning offers 20% tuition discount scholarship for students admitted into the BA/BGS in Criminal Justice program.
• Dominican’s Graduate School of Social Work offers two scholarship opportunities consisting of the Dominican University GSSW Lake County Scholarship and the Dean’s and Graduate Assistantship.  The GSSW Lake County Scholarship is for NEW students starting the program in Fall of 2012.  The GSSW Lake County Scholarship will cover the cost of one Grayslake GSSW course taken at the University Center in the Fall of 2012.  The 2012-2013 Dean’s Scholarship and Graduate Assistantship is for NEW and CURRENT students.  The Dean’s Scholarship will award up to $3,600 for the 2012-2013 academic year and the Graduate Assistantship will provide tuition remission for 1 to 2 courses for the 2012-2013 academic year.

Some specific local and national scholarships

• We compiled a list of several local and national scholarships before the FAFSA workshop series. Scholarship seekers are also encouraged to explore further opportunities via the internet.
• The Gateways to Opportunity Scholarship supports early childhood education providers who work in Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (IDCFS) licensed centers, homes, and school-age programs and who wish to continue their professional education or earn a degree.  This scholarship will pay a percentage of the eligible student’s tuition, books, and fees.
• Soroptimist offers Women’s Opportunity Awards to women who are the primary financial support for their families while they are students.  Applications are due December 1 each year.

Researching scholarships and other forms of financial aid

For comprehensive information about Illinois grant awards and subsidized loans, plus links to help you research other scholarship opportunities, visit the Illinois Student Assistance Commission website. This website also provides advice about how to avoid financial aid scams.  Be wary and check the FTC’s Scholarship Scams site before paying for any financial aid application assistance or scholarship searches. 

• Fastweb offers a free internet scholarship research service.
• The U.S. Department of Education has a comprehensive set of financial aid resources.
• If you are particularly tall or have a flair for duck-calling or have been promoting vegetarianism in high school, Scholarship.com may have just the specialized scholarship for you. Entertaining reading, even if you don’t find one that pertains to you.