We are dedicated to making college as affordable as possible. You can acquire financial aid in a variety of ways:
- University of Illinois: To learn more about financial aid for attending the University of Illinois, please visit the Office of Student Financial Aid.
- College of ACES Scholarships: The College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) also awards nearly $3.5 million in scholarships to ACES students, including scholarships for both incoming and continuing students. For incoming students, your admission application doubles as your ACES scholarship application; no additional scholarship application is needed.
- There are also scholarships available to support study abroad experiences.
- Departmental Scholarships: The Natural Resources & Environmental Sciences (NRES) Department offers an additional $44,000 in scholarships each year to incoming and continuing students. Funds are awarded based on merit, leadership, and demonstrated interest in the environment.
- For incoming students, your admission application doubles as your NRES scholarship application; no additional scholarship application is needed.
- NRES donor-designated scholarship funds include: the Karen D. Fisher Avian Ecology and Habitat Preservation Scholarship, the Howard W. & L. Christine Knoebel Scholarship, the Illinois Corn Scholarship for Conserving Illinois' Agricultural Resources (soil and water health), Ivan John Jansen Memorial Scholarship, Ralph W. Lorenz Memorial Scholarship, McNaughton-Kade Scholarship, and the NRES Sustainability Scholarship.
- External Scholarships: See below for a few suggestions of scholarships offered by a variety of organizations.
NRES offers a number of scholarships for continuing undergraduate students
Current students who are eligible to apply receive application instructions via e-mail in February of each year. Questions about NRES scholarships should be directed to nres-ssc@illinois.edu. Please note that scholarship awards and amounts may vary from year to year based on fluctuations in the endowments.
External Scholarships
A variety of scholarships for students with an environmental focus are offered by other organizations as well; here are a few suggestions to get you started:
- EnvironmentalScience.org maintains a list of scholarships in environmental sciences.
- Elmhurst Garden Club College Scholarship for Illinois Residents.
- The Fence Authority Scholarship for students pursuing a Bachelor's degree in a variety of areas, including environmental sciences.
- Friends of Volo Bog Scholarships for residents of the following Illinois counties: Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, and Will County.
- The Garden Club of America offers numerous scholarships.
- Illinois Conservation Foundation Youth Achievement Scholarships for Illinois residents
- Illinois Lake Management Association offers the Undergraduate/Graduate Scholarship and the Robert Esser Student Achievement Scholarship.
- IMTT/Glenwood Lodge Scholarship is offered by the Illinois Muskie Tournament Trail to students majoring in a fisheries related field.
- Illinois Water Environment Association Scholarship for Illinois residents or students attending an accredited Illinois college or university.
- Izaak Walton League of America Conservation Scholarship supports rising junior and senior college undergraduates from recognized conservation or environment-related degree programs.
- Soil & Water Stewardship Scholarship Program offered by the Soil & Water Conservation Districts of Northeastern Illinois for residents of the following Illinois counties: Boone, Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, Will, or Winnebago County.
- The Solid Waste Association of North America offers scholarships for students studying fields related to solid waste management.