Eligibility Criteria

1. The applicant must be graduating from high school in 2026.

2. At least one school counselor at the applying student's high school must be an ISCA member.

3. The applicant must be enrolling in one of the following post-secondary options: 4-Year College/University, 2-Year College/University, Trade School, or Apprenticeship/Vocational  Program.

4. Student must answer all application questions.

Application Requirements

• Demographic Information
• Post-Secondary Plans
• A list of responsibilities outside of the student's academic coursework.
• Two Essay Questions:

1.   Please answer both parts:

Part 1:  Describe your post-secondary educational and career goals in detail.

Part 2:  Explain how receiving this scholarship will alleviate financial burdens and support your educational aspirations using specific examples. 

2.  Please answer both parts: 

Part 1:  Discuss the mentorship and support you have experienced from your school counselor throughout high school, going beyond schedule adjustments and application support.

Part 2:  Describe how the mentorship and support from your school counselor has equipped you to take advantage of the opportunities that you will encounter in college/post-high school.

CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE APPLICATION

The 2026 ISCA Scholarship application will open on December 12, 2025. The deadline to apply is January 20, 2026.  All applications will be reviewed by the ISCA Scholarship Committee and winners will be announced in April 2026.

The ISCA Post-Secondary Scholarship Program began in 2018, awarding scholarship money to High School Seniors throughout the State of Illinois. ISCA awards 9 ($1,000) scholarships to students throughout the State of Illinois. A student from each ISCA Region will receive the $1,000 Scholarship.

Students graduating from high school are eligible for this non-renewable $1,000 Scholarship. The Scholarship can be used to support the following post-secondary options: 4-Year College/University, 2-Year College/University, Trade School, or Apprenticeship/Vocational Program.

By submitting a completed application, participants agree to allow the Illinois School Counselor Association to use their responses on its website for recognition purposes or for other communications about Illinois School Counselors.

Sharable 2026 ISCA Scholarship Flyer *coming soon

Printable 2026 ISCA Scholarship Flier with QR Code *coming soon

PAST SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS