Approximately half the $1 million in scholarship money made available to College of Lake County students by the school’s foundation did not go to students because not enough of them applied.
Among the scholarships Waukegan Township offers annually are four $1,000 Artis Yancey HBCU (Historically Black College or University) scholarships which were not awarded the past two years due to a lack of applicants.
Though millions of dollars are awarded in scholarship money each year to graduating seniors at Waukegan High School, North Chicago Community High School and others in Lake County, much of it is unclaimed.
Graduating high school seniors in Lake County are in the process of seeking financial aid as they await decisions from colleges and universities considering their applications, and they may leave money on the table, officials said.
Waukegan Township Supervisor Marc Jones said it awards three $1,000 scholarships to its general population of college students, a $5,000 grant from the Coalition to Reduce Recidivism for a specific area of study and the HBCU awards.
Jones said the HBCU scholarships are available to anyone who goes on the annual HBCU tour, or the yearly HBCU Experience, and ends up enrolling at an HBCU school. No one applied for the past two years.
Nick Alatzakis, Waukegan Community Unit School District 60’s communications director, said seven Waukegan graduates self-reported they went to HBCU schools. Jones said students from a number of area schools are eligible for Yancey scholarships.
Rey Gonzalez, the director of financial aid at CLC, said the school’s foundation made $1 million available for scholarships, and approximately half was left unclaimed. The school is simplifying the financial aid application.
“We took the information for hundreds of scholarships, and put it in two applications,” Gonzalez said. “They fill out the general application, and a simplified one if they are in clubs or (special) groups. It gives them ones they are eligible for.”
Counselors like Evonda Fulton, District 60’s college and career readiness coordinator, said they work hard to guide students toward appropriate financial aid. The Waukegan High School class of 2023 collectively qualified for $25.7 million in scholarships, she said.
“We have a platform we use to look for scholarships,” Fulton said. “We sort by categories like grade-point average and ethnicity. We make students aware who qualify. We help them with their essays.”
Some teens get counseling, and other help from organizations like Waukegan to College. Aaron Arnold, the executive director of the not-for-profit organization said they are helping 233 students, ranging from fifth graders through college seniors. All are from Waukegan.
Participants in Waukegan to College’s program are either the first in their family to go to college, are from a low-income household, or both. Arnold coaching them on financial aid is a key part of the counseling offered.
“They have a good toolbox already,” Arnold said. “They have already written their essays for their (college) applications. We have counselors who help them do it.
Arnold said the class of 2023 accumulated $10 million in scholarships. While some of the grants are large covering tuition, room and board, some are smaller, like those offered by Waukegan Township. He recommends stacking them to cover the entire cost of education.
Adriana Gonzalez, a District 60 Board of Education member as well as part of the Waukegan Public Schools Foundation board, is a 2018 graduate of Waukegan High School. She is helping to decide who will receive the two $3,000 Waukegan Strong scholarships the foundation will award this year.
Gonzalez, who graduated from Pomona College, an elite private school in Claremont, California, knows something about stacking small scholarships on large ones. Her tuition — approximately $60,000 — room and board was covered by the school. She received additional smaller grants.
“It allowed me to pay for my books,” Gonzalez said. “That was not included. A novel may be $10, but for a math book if you’re studying STEM could be $300. There are a lot of other expenses, like flying home if you’re far away.”
North Chicago School District 187 Superintendent John Price has developed a Warhawk-Lancer Scholarship which he calls a “full ride” to the College of Lake County. It covers tuition, a $3,500 annual stipend to cover expenses, a computer and counseling if needed.
Price said the deadline for filing was March 1, and 25 winners will be selected out of 40 applicants. A year ago, there were 21 Warhawk-Lancer scholars. There is a pilot program being launched to add a third year for those who are in their second year and need it.
“We’re finding out two years is not always enough,” Price said. “A lot of them are living at home, working and helping their families.”
After successfully using financial aid to earn her degree from an elite college, Gonzalez is now working with the Waukegan foundation to help others do the same by assisting to choose this year’s two Waukegan Strong recipients. The deadline to apply is April 1.
Gonzalez said the foundation board is looking for people who are involved in the community and giving back to help others. They file online through a designated portal. An essay is required.
“We want them to show us who they are,” Gonzalez said.
Josue Pasillas, the communications supervisor for the Waukegan Park District and also a member of the high school’s foundation board, earned his degree from Pitzer College, another elite school in Claremont, California. He, too, was the beneficiary of more than one scholarship.
Pasillas said the Park District is offering five $1,000 scholarships to college or trade school this year to people who live within the district’s boundaries. They must plan to study something related to the parks and recreation field. The deadline is April 30.
“It can include environmental science, sports science, horticulture, landscaping architecture or therapeutic recreation,” he said. “It can be business or finance. We do that too.”
While Jones is hopeful there will be recipients for the HBCU scholarships, he said the township is involved with others that are regularly awarded. The deadline for all is May 31.
Applicants for the three $1,000 township scholarships must be residents and submit an essay about the role of township government plays in today’s society.
Any Lake County resident can apply for the $5,000 Coalition to Reduce Recidivism scholarship. Jones said it can go to a current college student, or one who will enroll but they must be studying criminal justice or a related field. An essay is required.
“They have to write about the impact of recidivism in Lake County, and how does criminal justice serve the community or combat recidivism,” Jones said.