Local Foundation Offering Over 50 Full-ride College Scholarships

Lockport-based Give Something Back Foundation wants to buy a college education for over 50 Will County students, the Sun-Times Media reports.

$3 million was set aside to prefund full-ride scholarships to 52 incoming high school freshmen. Three colleges are participating in the scholarship, which begins next year: University of St. Francis, Lewis University or Blackburn College. Recipients of the scholarship will be provided help from tutors and mentors to help high school freshmen prepare for college. When they graduate from high school, the students will get a full-ride scholarship to one of the three colleges.

The scholarship is no walk in the park, however. Qualifying students must be eligible for federal Pell Grants. Scholarship recipients will be required to complete college preparatory coursework in high school, including three or more honors or Advanced Placement courses. Finally, they must graduate with a GPA equal to a B or higher.

Eligible Will County High Schools include: 

• Beecher High School
• Bolingbrook High School
• Crete-Monee High School
• Joliet Catholic Academy
• Joliet Central High School
• Joliet West High School
• Lincoln-Way Central High School
• Lincoln-Way East High School
• Lincoln-Way North High School
• Lincoln-Way West High School
• Lockport Township High School
• Neuqua Valley High School
• Peotone High School
• Plainfield Central High School
• Plainfield East High School
• Plainfield North High School
• Plainfield South High School
• Providence Catholic High School
• Reed-Custer High School
• Romeoville High School
• Wilmington High School

For more information, check out the Give Something Back Foundation's website.