The Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley has awarded $3.4 million in scholarships for the 2025-26 year, according to a press release from the organization.
The money — which the nonprofit says is a record for the organization — will be given to 569 area students over the next four years for higher education, according to the release. They were chosen from over 1,300 applicants.
Many of the awardees are high school students, but 28% of the scholarships were awarded to returning, graduate and non-traditional students, the release said.
The average scholarship amount for this year is $2,425, according to Beth Christoffel, the organization’s director of scholarships. Some of the scholarships are need-based, others merit-based and some are awarded to students pursuing specific fields of study, like STEM. Nearly 40% of the scholarships are renewable for up to four years, according to the release.
A full list of this year’s winners can be found at https://www.cffrv.org/2025-scholarship-program-award-recipients/.
Each of the Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley’s scholarship funds is funded by a different local donor, the release said. Individuals, families and local businesses, clubs and associations establish criteria for their respective funds, and the Community Foundation administers these funds on their behalf, as well as awards scholarships of their own.
The nonprofit is the third largest community foundation in Illinois, according to the release.
Next year’s application will be posted on the organization’s website in November, and applicants will have until January to apply.
Anyone interested in starting a fund of their own can contact the Community Foundation’s President and CEO Julie Christman at 630-896-7800 or jchristman@cffrv.org. The deadline to create a scholarship for next year’s round of awards is Sept. 1.
