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College-bound seniors and undergraduates have until April 30 to apply for scholarships sponsored by the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Inc.
The office of U.S. Congressman Danny Davis will give 11 awards – each worth $500 – under the CBC Spouses Education Scholarship Fund and the CBC Spouses Cheerios Brand Health Initiative Scholarship.
Recipients will be notified in mid-June. A banquet honoring the recipients is scheduled for July 30 at Rush University Medical Center, said Ben Montgomery, the constituent services administrator for Davis, who represents Illinois’ 7th congressional district.
Eight students will receive the Spouses Education Scholarship, which is given to academically talented and motivated full-time undergraduate and graduate students.
Three students will get Cheerios Scholarships. This award aims to increase the number of minority students pursuing degrees in medicine, engineering, technology, nutrition and other health-related professions.
This will be the 14th year that Davis’ office has awarded these scholarships, Montgomery said. At least five students have successfully reapplied and earned scholarships, he said.
Davis is on the foundation’s board of directors; former Congresswoman Cardiss Collins, who represented the 7th District for 24 years, serves as director emeritus of the foundation.
Local recipients have attended Morehouse College and Brown University as well as the University of Illinois at Chicago, Southern Illinois University and Northern Illinois University, Montgomery said.
Any student with at least a 2.5 grade point average from the 7th District can apply. A scholarship committee, selected by Davis, will choose the recipients, Montgomery said.
The panel will consider whether applicants come from single-parent homes or have parents with minimum-wage jobs. Financial need is important, Montgomery said.
Leadership potential will also be considered, said Lynn Jennings, the foundation’s senior manager for leadership, education and scholarships. The Washington, D.C.-based foundation has awarded about $10 million in scholarships since 1988.
“This (asset) will come out in the essays they have to write and the recommendations they get. We look at their potential to give back to the community, to mentor and be role models to others,” Jennings said. “We’ve seen great success with these programs.”
For more information or to get an application, call Davis’ Chicago office at 773-533-7520, visit his office at 3333 W. Arthington St., Suite 130, or visit the foundation’s web site. Click here to see a list of last year’s winners.