The Scholars Award Program is College of DuPage's premier merit-based scholarship program for recent high school graduates. The program consists of three separate scholarships:
- Presidential Scholars Award
Covers up to 64 credit hours of in-district tuition at College of DuPage for two consecutive academic years. - Board of Trustees Scholars Award
$2,500 award ($1,250 per semester). Renewed annually for up to four semesters. - Deans Scholars Award
$1,000 award ($500 per semester). Renewed annually for up to four semesters.
Application Deadline
All awards have a deadline of April 1, 2025 at 11:59 p.m.
Scholars Award Benefits
In addition to scholarship funds, Scholars Award recipients also enjoy the following benefits:
- Honors Program – Award recipients are invited to join the Honors Program and take advantage of benefits including specialized courses, smaller classes, extracurriculars, transcript recognition, transfer scholarships and the opportunity to create a close-knit community with fellow honors students.
- Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society – Automatic membership to this international honor society is offered with a waived membership fee. For member benefits, visit Phi Theta Kappa.
Eligibility Requirements
Students who meet the following eligibility requirements are welcome to apply:
- High school senior graduating in 2024-25 residing in District 502 or attending a District 502 high school. Determine in-district residency by viewing the District 502 map or contacting Student Registration Services at (630) 942-2377.
- A minimum cumulative 3.5 GPA/4.0 Scale or 4.37 GPA/5.0 Scale (weighted or unweighted).
Steps to Apply
- Complete the General Admissions application to College of DuPage at admissions.cod.edu.
- Complete the general scholarship application on the Academic Works Scholarship Portal.
- Complete the Scholars Award supplemental application on the Academic Works Scholarship Portal.
- When submitting the application on Academic Works, submit the following:
- Unofficial or official high school transcript, including seventh semester transcript for spring deadline.
- One to two page essay addressing the prompt.
- Letter of recommendation from a teacher or school counselor.
Contact scholarsaward@cod.edu if you have any questions about the application process.
- All communication will be sent to the student’s COD (@dupage.edu) email address.
- The committee will consider GPA established through enrollment in dual credit courses or through Early Admission.
- If the student's GPA falls below 3.5, the student may be at risk of losing their award after the first semester.
To remain eligible to benefit from the Scholars Award, students need to continue to meet the following criteria:
- Be enrolled full-time (minimum 12 credit hours) pursuing a degree or certificate program.
- Maintain a 3.5 GPA while at College of DuPage.
- Meet with an assigned academic advisor prior to registering for classes each semester.
- Presidential Scholars Award Recipients Only: Fulfill 20 hours of approved volunteer service within the scholarship's first year.
Important Note: Failure to meet the above requirements will result in removal from the Scholars Award Program. Subsequently, the student becomes responsible for full tuition payment for future semesters. Even if the student achieves a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher in the future, the Scholars Award cannot be reinstated.
Contact scholarcounselors@cod.edu if you have questions about maintaining your award.
A Presidential Scholars Award recipient poses for a picture with her certificate.
Scholars Award recipients proudly signing their certificates.
Scholars Award recipients pick up their COD swag.