Lincoln Trail College and its fellow Illinois Eastern Community Colleges — Olney Central, Frontier Community and Wabash Valley — are encouraging high school seniors to apply before the Oct. 28 Priority Deadline to ensure they are first in line for scholarship dollars.
Last year, IECC schools awarded more than $272,000 in Success Scholarships to 408 local students.
“Applying for the priority deadline gives local students the opportunity to receive a scholarship for any of the four IECC colleges,” IECC Director of Financial Aid Krystle Riggle said. “We are excited to help students find different avenues to afford a top-rated education close to home.”
Initiated in 2020, the tuition awards are made available to IECC students who have committed to attend the four colleges by completing the admissions application and the Free Application for Federal Student Aid by the Priority Deadline date. The Success Scholarships are renewable for up to four semesters — Fall 2023, Spring 2024, Fall 2024 and Spring 2025 — not including summer courses.
“The awards demonstrate IECC’s ongoing commitment to seeing area students successfully achieve their higher education goals,” said IECC Director of Enrollment Management Andrea Loll. “We encourage all our area students to complete the necessary documents and see how much they can save by attending one of the IECC schools.”
Students can go to www.iecc.edu/priority to begin the application process now and file their FAFSA starting Oct. 1. The FAFSA must have school code 001742 – Illinois Eastern Community Colleges listed.
Loll said this year students will receive additional assistance in applying as each college now has a dedicated admissions representative. During September and October, these recruiters will visit high schools in the district on a weekly basis.
“We are looking forward to partnering with our area high schools,” Loll said. “Our recruiters will be available to answer questions and guide students in the application process.
“They also will be working with Financial Aid to help students create their FAFSA IDs, expediting the process and making it easier to walk parents and students through the FAFSA application. We really encourage students to complete their FAFSA — the earlier the better,” she added.
“Even if students know they are going to a four-year school, we still want to help them with the process. As community colleges, we are part of the community and we want students to know we are here to serve them.”
Success Scholarship awards will be announced prior to the Thanksgiving holiday.
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