The South Suburban Chicago Chapter was organized in 1976 and has been recognized for our outstanding children’s programming and long history of providing scholarships to local high school students in our community. Our scholarships are funded through the voluntary efforts of our student and parent members. These efforts are an extension of our dedication and pride in promoting leadership development among youth and young adults.
CRITERIA:
1. African-American student with a demonstrated financial need, attending school and residing in the South Suburban Chicago area
2. Currently enrolled in senior year of high school
3. Cumulative unweighted GPA of 2.7 or higher
4. Provide two letters of recommendation: one must be from a teacher; the second recommendation can be from a teacher, any other school staff member, coach, or community activity leader
5. Must be accepted and plan to attend an Historically Black College and University for the 2026-2027 school year. Scholarship funds will only be sent to an HBCU, so changing schools to non-HBCU will forfeit the scholarship
APPLICATION SUBMISSION CHECKLIST
The completed application must be submitted on or before, MONDAY, MARCH 16, 2026. Late applications will not be considered. Information provided will be maintained confidentially and used for purposes stated for this initiative only.
1. Completed application
2. Completed student essay
3. An official copy of your high school transcript
LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION
Two letters of recommendation are REQUIRED. Please ask your recommender to make sure your letters verify active and consistent community service involvement independently or within an organization. Any leadership roles or specific duties that you participated in would also benefit the strength of your application.
