Scholarships

All applicants to Monmouth are automatically considered for our Dean’s Scholarships, which are awarded based on a holistic review of a student’s application. Dean’s Scholarships are offered up to $32,000 per year for new first year students, and up to $29,000 per year for new transfer students.

The William J. and Beverly Goldsborough Scholarship — which honors the leadership of alumnus and former Board of Trustees chair William J. Goldsborough ’65 and his wife, Beverly — is Monmouth College’s most prestigious and selective academic award. The Goldsborough Scholarship recognizes outstanding first-time freshmen students from the Chicagoland area who have consistently demonstrated academic excellence throughout their high school careers and who embody the mission and values of Monmouth College, as evidenced by leadership, service, civic engagement and co-curricular commitments.

Goldsborough Scholars receive a full-tuition award renewable for up to four years.

Awarded to up to two new students annually, each Goldsborough Scholar is personally mentored by the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty. Goldsborough Scholars also receive exclusive networking, professional and academic opportunities, including invitations to special alumni and College events.

Eligibility:

• A minimum 3.6 cumulative high school GPA
• Eligible students must also to register to participate and interview at our annual Scholarship Competition on campus. A reservation form is required to compete in the competition.

The Admiral’s Scholarship recognizes first-time freshmen students from across the nation who have demonstrated exceptional academic achievement and leadership in their schools and communities.

Admiral’s Scholars receive a full-tuition award renewable for up to four years and an educational enrichment fund. Awarded to up to two students annually, each Admiral’s Scholar has the opportunity to participate in research with faculty, experience special internships and lead community service projects.

Eligibility:

• A minimum 3.6 cumulative high school GPA
• Eligible students must also to register to participate and interview at our annual Scholarship Competition on campus. A reservation form is required to compete in the competition.

The Trustees’ Scholarship recognizes first-time freshmen students from across the nation who have demonstrated exceptional academic achievement and leadership in their schools and communities

Trustees’ Scholars receive a full-tuition award renewable for up to four years.

Awarded to up to two students annually, each Trustees’ Scholar has the opportunity to participate in research with faculty, experience special internships and lead community service projects.

Eligibility:

• A minimum 3.6 cumulative high school GPA
• Eligible students must also to register to participate and interview at our annual Scholarship Competition on campus. A reservation form is required to compete in the competition.

In addition to being considered for the full-tuition scholarships, some scholarship competition participants may receive the President’s Scholarship, which is an renewable award up to $34,000 annually. This President’s Scholarship would replace their previously awarded Dean’s Scholarship.

Students interested in pursuing the visual arts are encouraged to submit a portfolio of their work to be considered for an Art Scholarship. Scholarships in the fine art areas of Art, Music and Theatre range in value up to $3000 total per year and are awarded in addition to your academic scholarships. Students selected to receive an ART scholarship are not required to be majors or minors in the department, but the department expects that scholarship recipients will enroll in at least one art class every year that they are enrolled at Monmouth College. The scholarships are renewable with continued participation in the department.

Interested students should submit a portfolio of 8-10 works that best represent the student’s skills and interests. Portfolios can be reviewed during a Monmouth College campus visit  or may be submitted as a PDF presentation to Professor and Chair of the Art Department Stacy Lotz at slotz@monmouthcollege.edu

Portfolio requirements:

• 8-10 works/images (2-D and 3-D works are acceptable)
• Works presented in a PDF should be labeled with title of the work, size and medium
• An artist statement about your work and your creative interests moving forward
• A list of art classes taken at the high school level or beyond and any other art related experiences (workshops etc.)
• Feel free to also tell us a little bit about other interests you might have or extracurricular activities you have been or are currently involved in
• If you are submitting your portfolio electronically make sure to include your name and contact information: your name and address, current school, your phone (text) and e-mail address and the year that you anticipate starting at Monmouth College

Please contact Professor Stacy Lotz with any questions. slotz@monmouthcollege.edu

Students with a music background who have a desire to continue to pursue your talents while at Monmouth College, are invited to audition for a Music Scholarship. Scholarships in the fine art areas of Music, Art and Theatre range in value up to $3000 total per year and are awarded in addition to your academic scholarships. The scholarship is renewable with continued participation in the department.

In-Person or Virtual Prescreening. Students are encouraged to set up an audition as part of an official Monmouth College campus visit .

To set up an individual appointment, please email: jswearinger@monmouthcollege.edu. Students who are unable to travel or wish to submit an online audition can do so here with an unlisted YouTube link. After we have reviewed your submission, we will reach out for a follow-up

Instrumental 

Be prepared to play:

• 1-2 major scales
• chromatic scale in your maximum comfortable range
• 1 solo piece or etude of your choosing (piano accompaniment not required)

Any questions, please contact: jswearinger@monmouthcollege.edu

 Piano

Be prepared to play all major scales in two octaves as well as two contrasting pieces, or two contrasting movements of one piece. The solo can be one extended movement if contrasts in style and mood are apparent. If at all possible, piano solos should be memorized, especially for those planning to major in music.

Any questions, please contact: sleeclark@monmouthcollege.edu

Vocal

Be prepared to sing one piece memorized (popular music or musical theatre is not appropriate). Please be prepared to sing a major scale - preferably on Solfege. The audition will include some warming up and light vocal range testing. If submitting a virtual pre-screening, please try to sing two scales that cover your comfortable range.

Any questions, please contact: tpahel@monmouthcollege.edu

Students with a theatre background and the desire to hone their talents while at Monmouth College are invited to audition for a Theatre Scholarship, regardless of their intended major! Fine Arts scholarships in the areas of Music, Art and Theatre range in value up to $3,000 per year, are renewable, and are awarded in addition to academic scholarships.

In-Person Option

Scholarship auditions for actors and portfolio reviews for designers/technicians can be arranged as part of an official Monmouth College campus visit . To schedule an individual appointment, please email: vcampagna@monmouthcollege.edu.

*See below for other requirements.

Virtual Option

Students who are unable to travel to campus or who otherwise wish to submit online are welcome to do so.

Actors should send an unlisted YouTube link of their audition piece to: vcampagna@monmouthcollege.edu, and tquick@monmouthcollege.edu.

Designers/Technicians should send a virtual portfolio (ex: scanned portfolio pages, a Power Point presentation, or link to website) to vcampagna@monmouthcollege.edu, and tquick@monmouthcollege.edu.

*See below for other requirements. 

Actors

• The performance audition consists of the presentation of one monologue (timing at 90-120 seconds).
  • The monologue should come from a published play
    • Need help finding a monologue? No problem! Email Todd Quick at tquick@monmouthcollege.edu and he will send you a PDF of monologues to choose from!
  • The monologue must be memorized

• Slate at the top of the audition
  • EXAMPLE: Hi! I am Vanessa Campagna and today I will perform a monologue by Ruth from And Baby Makes Seven by Paula Vogel.

• OPTIONAL: students with a background in musical theatre may also sing a 16-to-32 bar cut from a Broadway musical.
  • The student must provide an accompaniment track: CD or mp3 file.
  • The slate for students taking this option should be structured as follows:
    • Hi! I am Vanessa Campagna and today I will perform a monologue from And Baby Makes Seven by Paula Vogel, and sing a portion of “Woe is Me” from The 25 ^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.

Designers/Technicians

• A resume
  • Information to include:
    • Title of show and name of playwright
    • Location show was produced
    • Month and year the show was performed
    • Name of director
    • Nature of your involvement (e.g. Character Name, Props Designer, Stage Crew, etc.)

• A list of equipment you’ve worked with (e.g. brand of lighting board, types of cables, computer software programs, etc.)

• Documentation of your production work

OR the documentation can be in digital form

Questions? Don’t hesitate to contact: vcampagna@monmouthcollege.edu. We look forward to your audition!

Classics/Latin Language Scholarships are available for students who have had a notable amount of Latin language experience (generally two years of formal classwork) prior to coming to Monmouth, and who intend to take Latin throughout their careers at Monmouth.

Latin Scholarship recipients will receive up to $2000 per year and the distinction of Latin Scholar, as long as they continue to take Latin (or acceptable substitutes). Scholars are expected to take at least one Latin class (at least .25 credit) each semester of their time at Monmouth. It is possible to take courses in Greek or certain courses in Classics instead.

Students interested in pursuing this scholarship must audition for the scholarship in person or remotely with Monmouth Classics faculty, and arrange for their current Latin teacher to write a letter of recommendation. Details of both are given below.

Details of the audition:

• For the scholarship audition, prospective Latin Scholars will need to choose a passage of 20-30 lines from a classical author (or, if appropriate based on the prospective Scholar’s preparation, an adapted passage or a passage in Latin written by a contemporary author, from which we will ask you to translate some parts (our choice) and answer questions of various sorts about details of the passage and its context.
• Scholars may have a sheet of paper with definitions of up to ten Latin words from their passage that they may consult during their translation and question time. The passage they bring from which to translate should be clean, though—i.e., the text should not be marked up, and the supporting vocabulary should be on a separate sheet of paper. Prospective Latin Scholars should send to Classics faculty the passage with which they intend to work at least a week ahead of their scheduled audition time.

Details of the letter of recommendation:

• Either in advance of their audition or at it, prospective Latin Scholars should also arrange for Monmouth Classics faculty to receive a letter of recommendation from a Latin teacher that attests to the student’s exposure to and skill with the language.
• This need be no longer than a page (250-400 words).
• If you bring the letter with you, it should be in a sealed envelope that the recommender has signed across the seal. If the recommender sends the letter ahead of time, e-mail is fine.

Students with experience participating or competing with a pipe band are invited to audition for our pipe band scholarships. Pipe band scholarships range in value based on auditions. Please complete the scholarship application form which includes audition information.

For more specific information, please visit the pipe band website.

The Richard “Doc” Kieft scholarship is awarded to a limited number of incoming domestic students majoring in chemistry or biochemistry. Please note, most of our pre-health students (pre-med, pre-nursing, pre-physical therapy, pre-occupational therapy, pre-dentistry, pre-physician’s assistant) typically major in Biochemistry due to professional school pre-requisite requirements.

This scholarship is renewed each year as long as the student remains a chemistry or biochemistry major and is in good academic standing.

Students must interview for this scholarship, which they can do as part of a visit to campus in the fall, or as part of our Special Scholarship Interview and Audition Day.

The scholarship is named after longtime Professor of Chemistry, Dr. Richard “Doc” Kieft. Doc Kieft was a professor in the Chemistry Department at Monmouth College from 1975-2006. Loved by all students, Doc was honored as professor of the year by the Monmouth College student body in 1995. Doc truly loved his job; he would spend many evenings on the chemistry floor helping students as well as talking with them about their day. As one of the biggest believers in a Monmouth education, Doc left his entire estate to the Chemistry Department. These endowed funds are currently being used for Chemistry and Biochemistry majors for summer research; for travel to National Chemistry Meetings; for the Garrett W. Thiessen Chair of Chemistry, and for this prestigious scholarship.

To be eligible for the Doc Kieft Scholarship, you must:

• Demonstrate a minimum 3.6 GPA (for first-year students) and a 3.5 (for transfer students)
• Email to Admission a letter of recommendation from a chemistry instructor (or a science instructor)
• Intend to major in chemistry or biochemistry
• Register for a virtual interview as part of our Scholarship Competition Day or as part of a campus visit.

To maintain the Doc Kieft Scholarship for your four years at Monmouth College, you must:

• Remain a chemistry or biochemistry major
• Maintain a 3.0 college GPA

The Presbyterian Scholarship is for first-time freshmen and transfer students interested in connecting their Presbyterian faith to an education at Monmouth College. The scholarship ranges in value up to $2,000 per year and are awarded in addition to your academic scholarship.

To be eligible for the Presbyterian Scholarship, you must:

• Complete an interview with the Monmouth College Chaplain and current Presbyterian Scholars, as part of a personalized campus visit or virtual interview.

In addition to Monmouth’s Presbyterian Scholarship (see above), students preparing to enter as full-time incoming freshman at one of the participating colleges related to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), including Monmouth, may apply for a National Presbyterian Scholarship. Students must be members of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and maintain a 3.0 GPA.

TEACH Grants are awarded to eligible students annually. Please go to studentaid.gov to complete the TEACH grant counseling and the Agreement to Serve (ATS).

In exchange for receiving a TEACH Grant, a student must agree to serve as a full-time teacher in a high-need field in a public or private elementary or secondary school that serves low-income students and must teach for at least four academic years within eight calendar years of completing the program of study for which you received a TEACH Grant. IMPORTANT: If a student fails to complete this service obligation, all amounts of TEACH Grants that you received will be converted to a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan. For more detailed information, please visit:

TEACH Grant Program

Golden Apple Scholars is a teacher preparation program providing tuition assistance and mentorship to support the development and success of new, highly-effective and diverse teachers for Illinois schools-of-need.

Golden Apple Scholars Receive:

• Up to $23,000 in total financial assistance for college, inclusive of paid Scholar Institutes
• Extensive classroom teaching experience
• Academic and social-emotional support
• Job placement assistance
• Mentoring from our award-winning teaching faculty

For more information, please click here to link to the Illinois Student Assistance Commission website.

For more information about the Minority Teachers of Illinois Scholarship, please click here to link to the Illinois Student Assistance Commission website.

• LaVerne Noyes Scholarship Application(opens in a new tab)
  The LaVerne Noyes Scholarship is awarded to blood descendants (grandchildren or great-grandchildren) of United States Army or Navy World War I Veterans whose service was terminated by death or honorable discharge.

• Mary Davis McKnight Scholarship Fund Application(opens in a new tab)
  The Mary Davis McKnight Scholarship is awarded to students where one or both parents are deceased. Preference is given to residents of Knox County.

• Tom Johnson Scholarship Application(opens in a new tab)
  The Tom Johnson Scholarship covers up to $10,000 in tuition and fees for one student’s senior year at Monmouth. The recipient is selected by Business and Economics faculty each year.

The Mellinger Educational Foundation was created over 50 years ago to provide private scholarships to college students. Since its founding, they have provided over $40 million dollars to students to help offset the cost of pursuing a college degree. Students who live in Warren, Henderson, Knox, McDonough, Mercer or Fulton Counties in Illinois are eligible to apply each year between February 1 ^st and May 1 ^st . For more information visit www.mellinger.org

This annual scholarship is awarded to students from Warren and Henderson counties in Illinois. Preference will be given to students whose family is considered to be a farm family. The number of awards and amount of the scholarships vary each year.

The Army provides funding based on merit to qualified students. There are also separate allowances for books and fees as well as stipends that are worth up to $5,000 annually, all of which allow students to focus on academics and their training rather than their finances.

We work with students using Post 9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33) Benefits to fund their education, or the education of a dependent child. We are also a Yellow Ribbon school. This GI Educational Enhancement Program is a provision of the Post 9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008. Under this program, individuals who meet minimum service requirements may receive funding in addition to the general Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits.

As a Yellow Ribbon school, Monmouth College has entered into a voluntary agreement with the Veteran’s Administration to provide matching assistance to help cover tuition expenses that exceed the highest public in-state undergraduate tuition rate. Once a student has exhausted their military benefits, financial assistance available for future semesters will be figured in the standard method (based on financial need and the academic profile of the student at the time of entering Monmouth College).

Unique to Monmouth College, the Plaid Ribbon Program was created to help even more Post 9/11 individuals who served our country. The Plaid Ribbon Program is a commitment from Monmouth College to provide assistance to help cover educational expenses not already covered through the Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits, without the restrictions and the minimum lengths of service required by the Yellow Ribbon Program.

Plaid Ribbon funding awarded by Monmouth College is not restricted to tuition. Once a student has exhausted their military benefits, financial assistance available for future semesters will be figured in the standard method (based on financial need and the academic profile of the student at the time of entering Monmouth College).

 

The Sigma Phi Epsilon Balanced Man Scholarship is awarded to incoming freshman males who have demonstrated the characteristics of a balanced man throughout their high school careers.

Selection criteria for this award include but are not limited to: academic achievement, sports and extracurricular involvement, a strong, moral character, superior drive to succeed and any accomplishment that exemplifies self-awareness.