The Scholars Award Program is College of DuPage's premier merit-based scholarship program for recent high school graduates, consisting of three tiered scholarships. Final review will determine if students are selected to be a Scholars Award recipient and which tier they are awarded.
- 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 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.