Soil and Water Stewardship Scholarship
Offered by Soil and Water Conservation Districts of Northeastern Illinois Land Use Council 16
About this scholarship
The Soil and Water Stewardship Scholarship supports students from northeastern Illinois who are preparing for careers that protect natural resources. It is sponsored by the Soil and Water Conservation Districts in Land Use Council 16 and administered through the Winnebago County Soil & Water Conservation District. The Community Foundation of Northern Illinois hosts the current official program page. Eligible applicants must live in Boone, Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, Will, or Winnebago County and plan to enroll full-time at an accredited two- or four-year college, community college, or university. The intended course of study must lead toward a natural-resources career. The sponsor gives examples including fish or wildlife biology, conservation and resource management, air quality, botany, conservation education, ecology, forestry, hydrology, soil science, pollution control, and water quality. Academic performance receives high-priority consideration. There is no online application or published universal deadline. Instead, candidates must contact the scholarship administrator at the phone number or NEILStewardship email shown on the official page to request the current form, submission instructions, award amount, and due date. The application includes a typed, double-spaced essay of no more than two pages. Applicants address their career goals, their reasons for entering natural-resources work, what they hope to accomplish after completing their education, and a critical local soil or water issue with recommended management practices. Students should request the packet early enough to obtain any supporting materials the current form requires.
Eligibility
- Currently reside in Boone, Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, Will, or Winnebago County, Illinois
- Plan to enroll full-time at an accredited two- or four-year college, community college, or university
- Pursue a course of study leading to a career in a natural-resources field
- Contact the Winnebago County Soil & Water Conservation District administrator to obtain the current application and deadline
- Submit a typed, double-spaced essay of no more than two pages addressing all three prompts on the official program page
- Provide any additional materials requested in the current offline application packet