The Scholars Award Program is College of DuPage’s premier merit-based scholarship available to recent high school graduates. It offers three tiers of awards based on academic achievement. Students are selected based on a comprehensive review of their application and academic record.
- 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
$5,000 award ($1,250 per semester). Renewed annually for up to four semesters. - Deans Scholars Award
$2,000 award ($500 per semester). Renewed annually for up to four semesters.
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.
Application is Now Closed
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 selection committee will consider GPA earned through dual credit and/or dual enrollment courses.
- Students whose GPA falls below 3.5 after the first semester may be at risk of losing their award.
To remain eligible for the Scholars Award, students must continue to meet the following criteria:
- Be enrolled full-time (a minimum of 12 credit hours) in a degree or certificate program.
- Maintain a minimum 3.5 GPA while enrolled at College of DuPage.
- Meet with their assigned academic advisor before registering for classes each semester.
- Presidential Scholars Award recipients only: Complete 20 hours of approved volunteer service within the first year of the scholarship.
Important: Students who do not meet these requirements will be removed from the Scholars Award Program and will be responsible for full tuition payment in future semesters. The award cannot be reinstated, even if the student later achieves a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher.
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.