Fred S. Bailey Undergraduate Scholarship
Offered by University YMCA
About this scholarship
The University YMCA’s Fred S. Bailey Undergraduate Scholarship supports University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign students who connect academic achievement with sustained service, leadership, activism, and positive community impact. Standard undergraduate awards are $4,000, paid as $2,000 per semester. Applicants who will graduate during the upcoming academic year are automatically considered for one of four $6,000 Bailey Leadership Awards recognizing exceptional impact in social justice, the environment, interfaith cooperation, or global engagement; no separate leadership-award application is required. Any undergraduate who will remain enrolled at UIUC throughout the relevant term may apply, including previous Bailey recipients who can demonstrate continued growth and service. Reviewers consider community involvement, critical awareness of pressing issues, financial need, and academic performance. The application includes a short biography, two short responses, one essay, community-involvement résumé information, financial-aid details, an academic history or transcript, and at least one reference request. Selected scholars complete two leadership and two enrichment activities during the award year. The official annual timeline opens November 7 and closes February 28, with recommendation forms due shortly afterward. Because the sponsor’s page explicitly labels the schedule as recurring and invites candidates to the next cycle, the listing uses February 28, 2027 rather than the directory’s unsupported implication that every recipient receives $6,000.
Eligibility
- Be an undergraduate student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
- Remain enrolled at UIUC throughout the upcoming term covered by the award
- Demonstrate positive impact through service, community involvement, leadership, or activism
- Demonstrate awareness and critical thought about important current issues
- Provide academic history or a transcript and requested financial-aid information
- Submit a short biography, two short responses, one essay, and community-involvement résumé information
- Request at least one recommendation through the scholarship platform
- Complete required leadership and enrichment activities during the award year if selected