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Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs

[ University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | University of Illinois at Chicago | University of Illinois at Springfield | ]

President's Award Program

Description and Eligibility

The President’s Award Program (PAP) assists the University of Illinois to enroll highly capable students who have been admitted to one of the U of I campuses and are members of historically underrepresented groups and groups that have been difficult to enroll at the University. The broad goals of the program are to ensure and enrich the diversity of the student body. The University of Illinois believes that a diverse student body enhances the quality of education for all students.

High achieving newly admitted freshmen from several underrepresented groups are eligible for consideration for the PAP award. The target minimum qualifications for consideration are:

• Rank in the top 40th percent of the high school class, and
• An ACT composite score of 25 or higher or a combined verbal and quantitative SAT score of 1150 or higher.

A limited number of students with lower ACT composite scores may also be eligible for consideration if they have attained an elevated high school rank.

Students from any of the following underrepresented groups at the University of Illinois are eligible for consideration for the PAP award:

• Students who are members of one of the underrepresented racial/ethnic groups at the University of Illinois (African American, Latino, or American Indian; Latino is based on origins from Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba, or Central or South America);
• Students from low sending Illinois counties, with low sending defined as counties sending an average of two or fewer students per academic year to the University of Illinois in the past five-year period;
• High achieving dependent students whose families are at or below the poverty level and are not expected to contribute to the cost of their education, as verified through FAFSA and financial aid application processes.

PAP Award Decisions
The scholarship provided by the PAP is intended to support and encourage students to select the University of Illinois for enrollment and each campus of the University makes independent decisions regarding admissions and PAP awards. All applications are made through the regular admissions review process (the application for admission serves as the application for the PAP); once admitted, eligible students receive individual review for the PAP.

Financial Aid
The PAP award is $5,000 per year, available for a maximum of four years (eight semesters) regardless of need.

PAP Honors
For Fall 2012, a pilot program, PAP Honors, has been initiated for the highest achieving PAP-eligible students. PAP awards of $10,000 for each of four years will be distributed across the three campuses to approximately 200 of these highest achieving students.

Scholarship
PAP students must earn a minimum grade point average of 2.50 at the end of the freshman year and 2.75 at the end of the sophomore year and beyond. Additional requirements may be instituted by the campuses.

Additional Information

Please direct inquiries to the campus of your choice:

Office of Admissions and Records
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
901 West Illinois Street, MC-061
Urbana, IL 61801-3028
(217) 333-0302

Office of Undergraduate Admissions
University of Illinois at Chicago
Box 5220, MC-018
Chicago, Illinois 60680-5220
(312) 996-4350

Office of Admissions and Records
University of Illinois Springfield
SAB 20, One University Plaza
Springfield, IL 62703
(217) 206-4847 or Toll Free (888) 977-4847

For general policy questions, please contact:

Marilyn Marshall
Director of Academic Programs and Services, and
Director of University-wide Student Programs
mmmurphy@uillinois.edu
(217) 333-3079