CAS Scholarships

Undergraduate Merit Tuition Scholarship

The College of Arts and Sciences provides a limited number of Merit Tuition Scholarships for interested and deserving undergraduates (Second Bachelor’s candidates are not eligible) within the College of Arts and Sciences. These scholarships are generally granted for three to six credit hours and students must be enrolled at least half-time. Scholarships will be granted on the basis of the student’s intended major, status, intended Career/Educational Goals, transcripts and/or ACT/SAT scores, and letter of recommendation.

To be considered for selection, applicants must meet the following criteria:

  • Transfer and NEIU continuing students must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.25 
  • Students who have earned 45 credit hours at NEIU must be declared majors in the College of Arts and Sciences. Transfer students with over 45 total hours must declare their major in the College of Arts and Sciences by their second semester at NEIU.
  • Entering Freshmen must be in the top 15% of their graduating class or have a minimum ACT score of 24 or SAT of 1110.

Applicants must submit a complete application including:

  • The name and email address of a faculty member who has agreed to complete a faculty recommendation form.

This award may be withdrawn in instances of substantiated academic misconduct or other violations of University standards pertaining to proper student conduct.

Application Deadlines:

  • Fall: May 15
  • Spring: October 1
  • Summer: February 1

The College Merit Tuition Scholarship Committee will review all applications and notify applicants, approximately, one month after the application deadline. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Awards to prospective and declared majors in the College of Arts and Sciences are highly competitive with the College intent on awarding to the most deserving students.

Merit Tuition Scholarship Instructions and Application

Announcing the Cannon-Herskovic Israel Research Scholarship ($3,000 award)

Deadline to apply: March 31, 2024

If you are a part-time or full-time student in any major in the Honors program or in any master’s program and are working on a thesis in areas of relevance to the State of Israel and/or Zionism, we hope you’ll consider applying for the Cannon-Herskovic Scholarship to support your thesis work. Your research may address any aspect of Israel or Zionism appropriate to your field of academic expertise. Preference will be given to research endeavors that promote exchanges in research between NEIU and the Israeli institutions. Proposals that involve interdisciplinary cooperation will be granted special consideration, and the research must be structured in an academically rigorous, balanced, and constructive scholarly manner.

To apply, please send a prospectus of the research project you are or plan to pursue (2-3 pages), a letter of support from your thesis advisor, and a copy of your transcript (unofficial is fine).

The funds may used to support a research project in the Summer or Fall 2024 terms or in Spring 2025.

For more information or if you are interested in applying, please contact Tim Libretti, Acting Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, at t-libretti@neiu.edu.

Drachler Biology Scholarship

Applications are due on March 31 and Oct. 31 of each year.

Purpose of Scholarship

This endowed scholarship has been established by A. Michael Drachler, M.D., an alumnus of the Department of Biology, in order to acknowledge that Northeastern Illinois University was where he learned to become a student and gave him the academic skills to pursue a long and productive career in medicine.

Award Amount

The Drachler Scholarship is open to eligible applicants every fall and spring semester with two awards given each semester: one for $1,000 and one for $500.

Scholarship Criteria

To be eligible for the scholarship, applicants must meet all of the following criteria:

  • Be a declared major or graduate student in Biology. Transfer students must have completed at least two semesters at Northeastern.
  • Have demonstrated academic merit with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 and be in good academic standing. 
  • Be currently enrolled part-time or full-time.
  • Have demonstrated financial need (to be verified by the Office of Financial Aid).

Applicants will be considered based on academic merit, financial need, evidence of growth as a student, and promise of future achievement. Students may win this award a maximum of two times.

Applications are due on March 31 and Oct. 31 of each year.

Apply by filling out the application form

Drachler Scholarship Application

J. Njogu and Eben C. Morgan Scholarship

$4,000 ($2,000, awarded to two students)

Qualified applicants for the Fund shall:

  • be currently enrolled, full or part-time, and in good academic standing in any major within the College of Arts and Sciences;
  • demonstrate financial need and/or academic merit, and
  • provide a statement of interest describing how they have persevered or remained diligent in their pursuit of education despite the challenges they have faced.

Submission Requirements:

  • A completed J. Njogu and Eben C. Morgan Scholarship Application
  • An original written statement addressing the following:
    Describe how you have persevered or remained diligent in your pursuit of education despite the challenges you have faced.

Application Deadline: May 3, 2024 (5:00 p.m.)

Download the Application

For questions, contact Amanda Dykema-Engblade (a-dykema-engblade@neiu.edu)
or at (773) 442-5848

Dr. Harry N. Hild Student Writing Award 2024 ($1,500)

Eligibility Requirements:

  • Declared major in the College of Arts and Sciences
  • Enrolled full- or part-time
  • Must be a student with at least one semester remaining before graduation

Submission Requirements:

  • A completed Dr. Harry N. Hild Student Writing Award application
  • An original written text addressing the following:
    • Northeastern Illinois University is guided by six key values, one of which is
      Access to Opportunity. According to NEIU’s Statement of Values:
      NEIU values access to opportunity; we value a welcoming environment that
      provides appropriate support as well as encourages mutual responsibility for and commitment to learning.
    • What does Integrity mean to you?
  • Submissions may include an informative or persuasive essay; a creative format (e.g., a poem, short story, short play, script or screenplay); a journalistic approach (e.g., opinion/editorial piece or news feature); an open letter (e.g., to a public/elected official); or a personal narrative.

Applicants are encouraged to interpret the writing prompt broadly and consider your own experience with access and/or your vision for a more accessible NEIU.

Application Deadline: May 3, 2024 (5:00 p.m.)

Download the Application

For questions, contact Amanda Dykema-Engblade (a-dykema-engblade@neiu.edu)
or at (773) 442-5848

The Brommel-Hanson-McGee Award ($1,200)

Purpose of scholarship

The purpose of this fund is to identify a student that best exemplifies excellence
within the College of Arts and Sciences through demonstrated academic
achievement, potential for future success, and community leadership, excelling
despite having faced challenging circumstances. The scholarship can cover tuition,
fees, and books.

Scholarship Criteria

  • Junior student (90 or more credits) entering his or her senior year at NEIU.
  • Declared major in at least one discipline within the College of Arts and Sciences.
  • Grade Point Average of 3.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale.
  • A strong research background, published articles and/or papers presented at state or regional conferences are highly desirable.

Preference is given to applicants who meet one or more of the following criteria:

  • Participant in University Honors, MARC U-Star program, McNair Scholars,
    and/or other selective academic programs.
  • Active leadership roles in NEIU or external community.
  • Participant in annual NEIU Student Research and Creative Activities Symposium

Application Deadline: May 3, 2024

Download the Application

For questions, contact Amanda Dykema-Engblade (a-dykema-engblade@neiu.edu)
or at (773) 442-5848

The Bernard J. Brommel Doctoral Scholarship

Award Amount

  • Award Amount: $5,000
  • More than one scholarship may be awarded as determined by the selection committee.
    Purpose of scholarship
  • The purpose of this scholarship is to support doctoral study for alumni who have received either bachelor's or master’s degrees from Northeastern Illinois University who meet the specified criteria as stipulated by the donor, Dr. Bernard J. Brommel.

Scholarship Criteria

  • Must have earned a bachelor’s or master’s degree from NEIU.
  • Must be a first or second-year student admitted to and enrolled for a minimum of 9 credit hours in a doctorate of philosophy program (PhD). Programs should be accredited by the North Central Association or an equivalent PhD accrediting agency. Students enrolled in online programs via for-profit institutions or non-residential degree programs are not eligible to apply.
  • If an applicant is enrolled in a joint master’s and doctoral program, the applicant must have completed 32 credit hours of graduate work beyond their bachelor’s degree.
  • A strong research background, published articles and/or papers presented at state or regional conferences are highly desirable.

Application Deadline: May 31, 2024

Download the Application

For questions, contact Amanda Dykema-Engblade (a-dykema-engblade@neiu.edu)
or at (773) 442-5848

THE NIH MARC U-STAR RESEARCH TRAINING SCHOLARSHIP

Application deadline: Visit the MARC website

Award Amount

  • Available pool: $13,600 annually for 18-24 months in stipends
  • Up to 12 credit hours of Illinois resident tuition at Northeastern
  • Two to four scholarships per year are awarded as determined by the selection committee

Purpose of Scholarship

To support and prepare undergraduate juniors and seniors for matriculation into Ph.D. (or M.D./Ph.D.) programs in biomedical/behavioral fields after graduation from Northeastern.

Scholarship Criteria

Applicants must:

  • be undergraduate students and declared majors at Northeastern in Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics or Psychology with sophomore or junior status at the time of application submission. Freshmen are not eligible; 
  • have completed the majority of the curriculum in the first two years. The specific curriculum can be discussed with program directors; 
  • have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0. Once in the program, students are expected to maintain a GPA of 3.5;
  • be a first-generation college student with income eligibility and or a member of a group underrepresented in biomedical/behavioral graduate education;
  • be U.S. citizens or permanent residents, and
  • have career goals to earn a doctoral degree in biomedical and/or behavioral fields.

Download the application from the MARC website

For questions, please contact MARC Program Directors Dr. Emina A Stojkovic (Biology) at e-stojkovic@neiu.edu; Dr. Breckie Church (Psychology) at rbchurch@neiu.edu; Dr. Joseph Hibdon Jr. (Mathematics) at j-hibdonjr@neiu.edu or the general MARC office at marc@neiu.edu.

Download the Application