Rockford Public Library (RPL), The Community Foundation of Northern Illinois (CFNIL), and Rock Valley College Foundation (RVC) have collaborated for nearly a decade to connect local students to opportunities to finance their college education. Today, they are pleased to announce the creation of a new one-stop-shop information source for all things scholarships in northern Illinois: Scholarships Northern Illinois, accessed at www.scholarshipsni.com 

Scholarshipsni.com is designed to provide a user-friendly place for students, parents, and school counselors to find local scholarships and financial aid resources, and a centralized place for local scholarship providers to promote their scholarship opportunities. Site visitors use broad categories and specific “tags” to determine which local scholarships match their unique experience and educational aspirations and will find detailed information about every scholarship for which they may be eligible. Visitors will also find information and links to resources to help them navigate the world of financial aid, and answers to frequently asked questions about scholarships. 

As of today, 115 scholarships worth more than $500,000 are included on the site, with more scholarships and resources added regularly. Local providers who are interested in posting their scholarship opportunity may visit www.scholarshipsni.com/contact to learn more and submit their scholarship. 

In addition to announcing scholarshipsni.com, CFNIL, RPL, and RVC are pleased to announce that the 9th annual Community Scholarship Fair will be held, in a completely virtual format! Tuesday, December 8, 2020, from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m., students, parents, and interested community members can log on to view live presentations and visit virtual scholarship “booths” to speak with local scholarship providers and learn more about more than $500,000 in scholarships available to local students. The event is free, but attendees must register to access the virtual fair. Learn more and register at www.scholarshipsni.com. 

Free and open to the public, this event will connect students and families with representatives from more than 20 organizations which offer more than 100 local scholarship opportunities. The diversity and generosity of our community is reflected in the variety of scholarships and their wide range of qualifying criteria, including: financial need, academic excellence, community involvement, and extracurriculars. Scholarships are available for students of all ages and citizenship status.

Learn more and register for this free event at www.scholarshipsni.com. This event is presented virtually thanks to the technical assistance of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

“This free event, and the new Scholarships NI website, are the most comprehensive review of the private sector scholarships and financial aid available to students in northern Illinois. It is a privilege to partner with other local institutions each year and provide a one-stop-shop opportunity for students and their families,” said CFNIL Community Investment Director Sarah Lambert.

"While the costs of higher education rise, many local organizations rise to the occasion by offering generous scholarships. This fair is for persons of all ages seeking an affordable higher education – both teens looking beyond high school and nontraditional students seeking further education later in life” said Lynn Stainbrook, Executive Director at RPL.

"Rock Valley College is here to make higher education accessible to our region," said Dr. Howard Spearman. "By increasing access, we are increasing opportunities for success to a diverse community."