Closed
This scholarship is part of the Winter application cycle.
This scholarship is open from December 1st to February 1st.
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Ron was the oldest of three siblings—his brother Don was the middle child, and Sue was the youngest. Ron’s grandparents were all born in Italy. Growing up, it was a full house—all three siblings lived with their mother and father, as well as their grandparents. They were your typical Italian family that grew their own vegetables and fruits and made their own wine. Every Sunday, the family attended church at St. Anthony’s. When Ron was younger he delivered newspapers to make money in the south side of Rockford. Living across the street from a school, they had a baseball field right across the street. All he had to do was grab a glove, bat, and ball, and someone else would always join for a game.
He was originally recruited by the University of Iowa to run track and was on a scholarship. After one year, Ron transferred to Rockford College (now Rockford University). This allowed him to letter in four sports including Tennis. He still owns the 440 record for Byers Stadium (cinder track)! This led to a coaching position in tennis and an assistant in swimming. His specialty, tennis, became his lifelong passion.
Once Ron got married, he managed to hold a few jobs all at once—he chopped wood, plowed drives, and then had his “main job” as well. He was a teacher, assistant principal, and coach of multiple sports and eventually became a loan officer and the manager of the loan department.
Ron wanted others to have the opportunity to have a sport be part of their lifelong passion. To be able to enjoy your passion while still being able to get an education was his motivation. Too many college students are burdened by the cost of education and thus end up working to supplement those costs. Hopefully, the scholarship will allow the recipient to ease the cost burden and thus allow time for sports.
Ron has two children: Jennifer, who lives in North Carolina, and David, who lives in Michigan. Together, they have four children. Nothing made him more proud than driving in to watch his grandkids participate in sports—football, track, tennis, soccer, etc. It made him so proud to see his grandkids succeed in sports and their curriculum. Education was always very important to Ron. He was a lover of cars, art, watches, playing competitive tennis and watching his kids and grandkids participate in sports.
To read more about Ron, click HERE to read a local article from the Rockford Register Star.
Ron Balsam, on the right, is pictured with Coach Rob Buelte, on the left, and his son, Finley Buelte, celebrating Rockford Christian's victory in the 2022 Class 1A sectional tennis championship.
Scholarship Spotlight: Ron Balsam Memorial Scholarship
After his death in 2024, CFNIL received a bequest from Ron's estate to establish the Ron Balsam Memorial Scholarship. The scholarship was awarded for the first time in spring 2025, and this tribute video was created to honor Ron and his generosity during the 2025 CFNIL Scholarship Award Night. Learn more about the Ron Balsam Memorial Scholarship and the complete CFNIL Scholarship Program at https://www.cfnil.org/scholarships/ron-balsam-memorial-scholarship.
Eligibility
Every CFNIL scholarship has a unique intent, often reflecting the background of the donor or person in whose memory the fund was created. CFNIL uses an online "universal" application to ensure the most efficient process; as an applicant, you do not need to predetermine which scholarships you should apply for. Complete ONE application each cycle, and your answers to a series of yes/no and personal background questions automatically match you to every scholarship you are eligible for. Because our scholarships were created to support students of all ages, backgrounds, and aspirations, we encourage every scholarship seeker (high school graduating seniors and older) to apply!