Merit-Based Donor Scholarship Application Instructions

To apply for a Merit-Based Donor Scholarship, applicants must submit the completed online application form and personal essay by May 16, 2014. These items must be included for the application to be complete and eligible for consideration by the selection committee. Students may opt to submit a letter of recommendation from an NLU faculty member, as well as a resume. Please follow the instructions below to complete these four components.

Step 1: The Essay
Please submit a one-to-three page essay. The first page of the essay should include your name, Your essay should address the following question:

• What do you want to accomplish with your degree from NLU?

Your essay should be written specifically to apply for the Merit-Based Scholarships. If you are in the National College of Education and have written a “Why Teach” or “Philosophy of Education” essay for other purposes, DO NOT resubmit these essays. Doing so will result in your application being removed from consideration.

If you need assistance writing your essay, please contact Learning Support. Please note "merit-based scholarship" in the subject line. The deadline to request essay assistance is Wednesday, April 23, 2014.

Step 2: Your Resume
Your resume is an opportunity to highlight any accomplishments that make you an ideal scholarship recipient. Examples of additional resume sections might include Honors, Activities, Achievements, Foreign Languages Spoken or Volunteer Experience. The resume submission is not mandatory for scholarship consideration.

The Career Development Office can assist with resume writing. Contact them at careerdevelopment@nl.edu or 312.261.3270 to schedule a resume review with a Career Readiness Advisor. To ensure all students who would like assistance are able to be serviced, resume reviews will not be scheduled after Wednesday, April 23, 2014.

Step 3: Letter of Recommendation from an NLU Faculty Member
You may submit one letter of recommendation from an NLU faculty member or adjunct faculty member. The letter should be emailed by the professor directly to stapplications@nl.edu. 

The letter of recommendation and resume are not required for scholarship consideration but will be reviewed if submitted.

Step 4: The Application
The Merit-Based Donor Scholarships Application can be found online.

Review the general eligibility requirements for Merit-Based Donor Scholarships:

• Demonstrate evidence of academic achievement
• Have successfully completed at least one term at NLU prior to March 31, 2014

If you meet these requirements complete the first 2 sections of the scholarship application: Contact Information and Student Profile.

Review the Merit-Based Donor Scholarship list and determine for which scholarships you meet the eligibility criteria. When completing the online application, select these scholarships.

Read the information at the bottom of the page. If you are selected as a scholarship recipient, you are agreeing to write the scholarship donor and express your appreciation for the award and attend the scholarship ceremony in Spring 2015 at the Chicago campus. If you agree, sign the application at the bottom of the page and hit “submit.” You have now completed the application form.

Final Considerations:
You must complete your Merit-Based Scholarship application by the May 16, 2014 deadline. Incomplete submissions will not be reviewed. Valid scholarship applications must be submitted online by Friday, May 16, 2014. Questions can be directed to stscholarships@nl.edu.

Please note that NLU Scholarships only cover tuition charges and are not refundable to the student.

Students must adhere to all the University policies noted in the Catalog in order to remain eligible to receive NLU Scholarships.