ACI Scholarship Program
ACI is excited to announce our new Scholarship Program!
Starting in 2021, Adoption Center of Illinois will award two scholarships for furthering education. One scholarship will be awarded to an ACI birth parent and one scholarship will be awarded to a person adopted through ACI/FRC. The recipient will be selected based upon their response to a question about their experience with adoption.
Applicant Requirements:
- Applicants must be enrolled or accepted at a vocational school, trade school, 2-year or 4-year educational institution for continuing education
- Applicants must be either a birth parent who placed a child through ACI/FRC OR a person adopted from ACI/FRC’s Traditional Adoption Program, Agency Assisted program or an International program (China, Guatemala, Ukraine or Primary Provider program)
- Applicants cannot be a family member of an ACI/FRC board member or employee
Applications Accepted: April 1st, 2021 to June 30th, 2021
Application Deadline: June 30th, 2021 at 11pm CST
Submission Guidelines
Please download and fill out the Scholarship-Application Form. Email the completed scholarship application form, proof of enrollment/acceptance and your question response to support@adoptillinois.org.
Application Selection Question
The award recipients will be selected based on their response to the following question: How has adoption impacted your life?
You may submit your response in any format including essay, video, song, poem, etc.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is this scholarship for?
This scholarship is for furthering education and can be applied to 2021-2022 tuition or any other expense paid to the school, such as equipment or textbooks.
Which education institution can this scholarship be used at?
The scholarship can be used at any vocational school, trade school, 2- year or 4- year educational institution.
Do I need to prove financial need?
No, this is not a need-based scholarship and no financial documentation is required to apply. The scholarship will be awarded based solely on the question response.
Who will make the scholarship decision?
A selection committee of two ACI board members and the executive director will make the scholarship award decision unanimously. If the decision is not unanimous, an additional board member and staff member will be added to the committee for the final decision.
When will scholarship decisions be made?
Scholarship recipients will be notified by July 15th, 2021.
What if my tuition for one semester is less than the scholarship amount?
If a program fee for one semester was less than $5,000, remaining funds can be applied to the following semester or additional classes.
How will the scholarship be distributed?
The award will be made directly to the school listed in your application form, up to 12 months from the date of the award selection. Direct payment to the school prevents the award from being taxable income.
What should I do if a change in my schooling occurs?
If a change in your school selection occurs after you have been awarded the scholarship, please notify ACI so we can direct the funds appropriately. You may be asked to resubmit your proof of enrollment/acceptance.