COLLEGE STUDENTS INVITED TO APPLY FOR $2,000 WIRC-CAA SCHOLARSHIP

(Macomb, Illinois, May 2022) – Local college students are invited to apply for multiple scholarship awards being offered by Western Illinois Regional Council-Community Action Agency (WIRC-CAA). The nonprofit agency is based in Macomb, Illinois, but the scholarship is open to income-eligible students living in Hancock, Henderson, Knox, McDonough, and Warren counties in western Illinois. 

The WIRC-CAA Scholastic Scholarship is worth $2,000, and multiple awards will be granted throughout the agency’s service area. Applicants must meet the following eligibility guidelines to be considered: their primary residence is in the five-county area listed above; their household’s total gross income is at or below 200% of the federal poverty level; they have earned a high school diploma or GED, or will graduate by July 1, 2022; they have been accepted into an Illinois college, university, community college, or trade school; and they submit all of the required application paperwork, including a 500-800 word essay about how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted their academic progress.

In order to be within 200% of the federal poverty guidelines, the applicant’s gross household income cannot exceed these amounts: $27,180 per year for a one-person household; $36,620 per year for a two-person household; $46,060 per year for a three-person household; $55,500 per year for a four-person household; and for each additional household member, add $9,440. 

Scholarship funds may be used for tuition and fees, textbooks and supplies or room and board if the student is living in campus housing. Scholarship awards will be made directly to the financial aid office of the student’s college or university for use by the student as needed. 

The deadline to apply is 4:00 p.m. on Friday, June 10, 2022.  Application forms can be found on the WIRC-CAA website at https://wirpc.org/scholarships/, by contacting local financial aid offices, or by picking up a paper copy at the WIRC-CAA office, 133 West Jackson Street, Macomb, IL 61455. 

The WIRC-CAA Scholastic Scholarship is made possible thanks to the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity with federal Community Services Block Grant program funding. 

WIRC-CAA, based in Macomb, Illinois, offers social service programs to help people in need throughout multiple western Illinois counties.  Some of their programs include a food pantry, clothing center, energy assistance program, scholarships, home weatherization, and more. For more information about WIRC-CAA, call 309-837-2997, find WIRC & CAA on social media, or visit https://wirpc.org/.