💰 University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign Merit Scholarships

Total Scholarships

28

Automatic

15

In-State Awards

$2,000-$50,000/yr

Out-of-State Awards

$2,000-$50,000/yr

Multi-Year Awards

$2,000-$80,000 total

Typical Requirements for Automatic Merit

3.0 GPA

What you'd actually pay at University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign

Tuition & fees

$31,832

−

Largest annual award

$50,000

=

Students receiving it pay about

$0/yr

Tuition and fees only — housing (about $14,522), books and travel are extra. Awards must still be won and may carry renewal conditions. Need-based aid is separate and may reduce this further.

Official Scholarship Information

View complete details on University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign's website

Visit School Website →

Automatic merit scholarships at University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign — no separate application

15 awards granted on your admission application, based on GPA and test scores.

Illinois Achievement Scholarship

Award

$10,000/yr out-of-state

**Amount:** $10,000

Eligibility: **Requirements:** Incoming non-resident freshman with demonstrated financial need

How to apply: ["admission to university", "demonstrated financial need"]

📋 Renewable for 4 years provided full-time continuous enrollment and satisfactory academic progress; citation pa Source ↗

James Hunter Anthony & Gerald E. Blackshear Endowment

**Amount:** Equal to full tuition and fees for an academic year

Eligibility: **Requirements:** Incoming freshmen who have graduated from an Illinois high school

How to apply: ["graduated from an Illinois high school", "admission to university"]

📋 Renewal: 3.0 GPA Source ↗

Matthews Scholars

Award

$2,000/yr in-state

$2,000/yr out-of-state

**Amount:** $2,000 per year

Eligibility: **Requirements:** Incoming freshmen

How to apply: ["admission to university"]

📋 Renewal: 3.0 GPA Source ↗

PAP

Award

$5,000/yr in-state

**Amount:** Up to $5,000

Eligibility: **Requirements:** High achieving newly-admitted freshmen... students must be Illinois residents and have demonstrated outstanding academic achievement.

How to apply: ["Illinois residency", "admission to university"]

📋 Renewable for 4 years provided continuous full-time enrollment and in-state tuition status (per citation). Source ↗

PAP Honors

Award

$10,000/yr in-state

**Amount:** Up to $10,000

Eligibility: **Requirements:** The highest achieving newly-admitted freshmen... students must be Illinois residents and have demonstrated outstanding academic achievement.

How to apply: ["Illinois residency", "admission to university"]

📋 Renewable for 4 years provided continuous full-time enrollment and in-state tuition status. Source ↗

Provost Scholarship

**Amount:** Full tuition

Eligibility: **Requirements:** Incoming freshmen

How to apply: ["admission to university"]

📋 Renewal: 3.0 GPA Source ↗

School of Music Merit Awards (range)

Scholarships range from several hundred dollars up to full tuition. The School of Music merit-based scholarship are applied to the cost of tuition and do not cover fees, room, or board.

Eligibility: All undergraduate applicants (who apply as a music major as their primary major to the University of Illinois) are automatically considered for merit-based scholarships from the School of Music. These awards are made at the recommendation of faculty and are based on the applicant’s audition and application.

How to apply: ["apply as a music major as primary major", "audition (recommendation by faculty)", "admission to university"]

📋 Awards applied to tuition only; do not cover fees, room, or board. Source ↗

Stamps Scholarship

**Amount:** Up to the cost of attendance

Eligibility: **Requirements:** Incoming freshmen

How to apply: ["admission to university"]

📋 Renewal: 3.0 GPA Source ↗

Star Scholar - 3.0-3.24

Award

$3,000/yr in-state

$3,000/yr out-of-state

In-State Requirements

GPA 3.0+

Amount up to $7,000/year

Eligibility: When applying to UIS, undergraduate first-year students are automatically considered for Star Scholar First Year Scholarships. No additional application is required. ... These scholarships are automatically applied upon admission and are based solely on unweighted high school GPA.

How to apply: ["admission to UIS", "enrolling in an on-campus academic program", "unweighted high school GPA (used for selection)"]

🔗 Students may not have combined UIS scholarships that exceed tuition and mandatory fees. Source ↗

Star Scholar - 3.25-3.49

Award

$4,000/yr in-state

$4,000/yr out-of-state

In-State Requirements

GPA 3.2+

Amount up to $7,000/year

Eligibility: When applying to UIS, undergraduate first-year students are automatically considered for Star Scholar First Year Scholarships. No additional application is required. ... These scholarships are automatically applied upon admission and are based solely on unweighted high school GPA.

How to apply: ["admission to UIS", "enrolling in an on-campus academic program", "unweighted high school GPA (used for selection)"]

🔗 Students may not have combined UIS scholarships that exceed tuition and mandatory fees. Source ↗

Star Scholar - 3.50-3.74

Award

$5,000/yr in-state

$5,000/yr out-of-state

In-State Requirements

GPA 3.5+

Amount up to $7,000/year

Eligibility: When applying to UIS, undergraduate first-year students are automatically considered for Star Scholar First Year Scholarships. No additional application is required. ... These scholarships are automatically applied upon admission and are based solely on unweighted high school GPA.

How to apply: ["admission to UIS", "enrolling in an on-campus academic program", "unweighted high school GPA (used for selection)"]

🔗 Students may not have combined UIS scholarships that exceed tuition and mandatory fees. Source ↗

Star Scholar - 3.75-3.99

Award

$6,000/yr in-state

$6,000/yr out-of-state

In-State Requirements

GPA 3.8+

Amount up to $7,000/year

Eligibility: When applying to UIS, undergraduate first-year students are automatically considered for Star Scholar First Year Scholarships. No additional application is required. ... These scholarships are automatically applied upon admission and are based solely on unweighted high school GPA.

How to apply: ["admission to UIS", "enrolling in an on-campus academic program", "unweighted high school GPA (used for selection)"]

🔗 Students may not have combined UIS scholarships that exceed tuition and mandatory fees. Source ↗

Star Scholar - 4.0

Award

$7,000/yr in-state

$7,000/yr out-of-state

In-State Requirements

GPA 4.0+

Amount up to $7,000/year

Eligibility: When applying to UIS, undergraduate first-year students are automatically considered for Star Scholar First Year Scholarships. No additional application is required. ... These scholarships are automatically applied upon admission and are based solely on unweighted high school GPA.

How to apply: ["admission to UIS", "enrolling in an on-campus academic program", "unweighted high school GPA (used for selection)"]

🔗 Students may not have combined UIS scholarships that exceed tuition and mandatory fees. Source ↗

University Merit Scholarships (as noted on Siebel School page)

The merit scholarships are based (at least partly) on scores on the ACT or SAT and on the high school rank. A student's application to the university serves as the scholarship application.

Eligibility: The merit scholarships are based (at least partly) on scores on the ACT or SAT and on the high school rank. A student's application to the university serves as the scholarship application.

How to apply: ["application to the university (serves as scholarship application)"]

📋 Page indicates ACT/SAT and high school rank are factors but does not list numeric thresholds. Source ↗

University of Illinois Transfer Scholarship

Award

$2,000 one-time in-state

**Amount:** $2,000

Eligibility: **Requirements:** High-achieving, first-generation students with 30+ transferable graded hours and demonstrated financial need who are transferring from an Illinois community college

How to apply: ["30+ transferable graded hours", "first-generation", "demonstrated financial need", "transfer from an Illinois community college"]

📋 Listed as not renewable. Source ↗

Other scholarships at University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign (13)

These require a separate application, or the school does not publish their eligibility criteria.

Beinecke

$35,000 total

This is a merit- and need-based award of $35,000 to students seeking to gain a graduate degree in the arts, humanities, or social sciences.

Eligibility: The Beinecke is for current juniors who are U.S. citizens.

How to apply: ["U.S. citizenship", "separate application", "demonstrated financial need"]

Source ↗

Boren Undergraduate

$25,000 total

The Boren provides students up to $25,000 to study abroad in Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East.

Eligibility: The Boren Undergraduate Scholarship is for freshman through seniors who are U.S. citizens. The applicant should have a broad interest in national security.

How to apply: ["U.S. citizenship", "separate application", "interest in national security"]

Source ↗

Fulbright

The Fulbright fully funds one year of study or research in any country where there is a Fulbright Commission.

Eligibility: The Fulbright is for U.S. citizens who are seniors, graduate/professional students, and graduates.

How to apply: ["U.S. citizenship", "separate application"]

Source ↗

Goldwater

$7,500/yr

The Goldwater awards one- or two-year $7,500 awards to students who demonstrate strong evidence of contributing to the technological advances of the U.S.

Eligibility: The Goldwater is for juniors or exceptional sophomores who are current U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, or resident aliens.

How to apply: ["U.S. citizenship or eligible status", "separate application"]

Source ↗

Marshall

The Marshall fully funds one to three years of study leading to a degree at any British university.

Eligibility: The Marshall is for U.S. citizens with an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.7. Seniors, graduate/professional students, and graduates are eligible to apply within two years of their undergraduate graduation.

How to apply: ["U.S. citizenship", "3.7+ undergraduate GPA", "separate application"]

Source ↗

Native American Scholarship – Peoria Tribe Scholarship

**Amount:** The scholarship will cover the remaining cost of tuition, campus fees, and the food and housing allowance not covered by other federal, state, institutional, and private awards including the Federal Pell Grant and the State of Illinois Monetary Award Program (MAP) Grant.

Eligibility: **Requirements:** This scholarship is available to any undergraduate level student who is a member of the Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma, connected historically with the state of Illinois. To be considered for this scholarship, a student must have a processed 2026-2027 FAFSA. Application for this scholarship is required.

How to apply: ["member of the Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma", "processed FAFSA required", "separate application required"]

Source ↗

Quad Fellowship

$40,000 total

The Quad Fellowship provides $40,000 for students who will pursue, or are currently enrolled in, a master’s or PhD degree in a STEM discipline at any U.S. university.

Eligibility: Citizens or legal permanent residents of Australia, India, Japan, the United States, or ASEAN countries who will be enrolled in a graduate program in fall 2026 are eligible to apply.

How to apply: ["citizenship of specified countries", "separate application"]

Source ↗

Rhodes

The Rhodes fully funds two to three years of study leading to a degree at Oxford University, England.

Eligibility: The Rhodes is for U.S. citizens or non-citizens under the age of 24 who are seniors, graduates/professionals, or graduate students with a minimum GPA of 3.7.

How to apply: ["minimum GPA 3.7", "age under 24 for some applicants", "separate application"]

Source ↗

Samvid Scholars

$50,000/yr

The two-year program provides $50,000 annually to support a full-time graduate program (MD, MBA, JD, MPP, MPH, or MS/MA in social sciences or STEM).

Eligibility: The Samvid Scholars program is for U.S. citizens or DACA recipients who are seniors, graduate/professional students, or graduates with a GPA of at least 3.5.

How to apply: ["U.S. citizenship or DACA", "3.5+ GPA", "separate application"]

Source ↗

Tribal Nations Scholarship for Non-Illinois Residents

**Amount:** The scholarship will cover the difference between non-resident and resident tuition at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Eligibility: **Requirements:** This scholarship is available to any undergraduate or graduate level student who is not a resident of the state of Illinois and is a member of any of the Tribal Nations federally recognized by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. To be considered for this scholarship, a student must have a processed 2026-2027 FAFSA. Application for this scholarship is required.

How to apply: ["member of a federally recognized Tribal Nation", "non-Illinois resident", "processed FAFSA required", "separate application required"]

Source ↗

Truman

$30,000 total

The Truman awards $30,000 towards graduate studies to students with a record of community service and a commitment to a career in public service.

Eligibility: The Truman is for college juniors who are U.S. citizens pursuing graduate degrees in public service fields.

How to apply: ["U.S. citizenship", "separate application", "record of community service"]

Source ↗

UK Summer Fulbright

The UK Summer Fulbright is for U.S. citizen freshmen and sophomores with a GPA of at least 3.6. The award fully funds a 3-4 week course at one of several summer institutes at universities across the United Kingdom.

Eligibility: The UK Summer Fulbright is for U.S. citizen freshmen and sophomores with a GPA of at least 3.6.

How to apply: ["U.S. citizenship", "application to scholarship program (separate)"]

Source ↗

Voyager Scholarship

$80,000 total

The Voyager Scholarship provides up to $80,000 ($25,000/yr of financial aid for junior and senior year, $10,000 for a summer experience, and $2,000 annually for 10 years for travel).

Eligibility: The Voyager is for sophomores who are U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or DACA recipients with a 3.0+ GPA and demonstrated financial need who plan to pursue a career in public service.

How to apply: ["U.S. citizenship, permanent residency, or DACA", "3.0+ GPA", "demonstrated financial need", "separate application"]

Source ↗

Deadlines that affect merit consideration at University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign

Early Action

11/01/2025

Regular Decision

01/05/2026

Common questions about University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign scholarships

How much merit aid does University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign give?

Published awards range $2,000-$50,000/yr. University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign lists 28 merit scholarships in total.

What GPA or test scores do you need for a scholarship at University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign?

The lowest published threshold across automatic awards is 3.0 GPA. Individual scholarships set their own cutoffs.

Does University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign give merit scholarships to out-of-state students?

Yes. Awards for out-of-state students run $2,000-$50,000/yr.

Is there a full-ride scholarship at University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign?

Yes. The largest published award covers tuition and housing in full.

Do you have to apply separately for merit scholarships at University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign?

5 of the published awards are granted automatically on your admission application, with no separate scholarship application.

When is the scholarship deadline at University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign?

Merit consideration usually follows the admission deadline, which is 11/01/2025. Confirm scholarship-specific dates with the financial aid office.

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