Schaumburg AM Rotary invites local students pursuing vocational or trade careers and working toward an associate degree, diploma, or certificate to apply for club level scholarships valued at between $200 - $2,500, with the opportunity to earn up to an additional $1,500 through the Rotary District 6440 level scholarship program.
Rotary encourages education and will grant up to 15 district level scholarships this spring to students living in Chicago’s north, northwest and many western suburbs.
This program is designed to provide scholarships to students demonstrating financial need who will be pursuing education/training beyond high school in a vocational or technical area. Scholarship awards are intended to defray costs associated with programs that prepare for immediate entry into a career field. It is not intended for students pursuing traditional four-year Bachelor’s degree programs.
Vocational career examples include auto mechanics, administrative assistants, HVAC tech., computer tech., paralegal, pharmacy tech., human services, law enforcement, elder care, and many other fields.
Eligibility requirements -
- High School Graduate, GED, or non-traditional student entering a vocational program
- Be sponsored by a Rotary District 6440 Club
- Be accepted at a school of designation
- Permanent residence (domiciled) or employed in District 6440*
*Note: Residing outside District 6440 for educational purposes is not a disqualification.
Candidates must be sponsored by their local Rotary club and show good high school grades in relevant subjects, work experience in their chosen field, volunteer work and extracurricular activities related to their chosen field, character recommendations and more. Rotary clubs will screen applicants and sponsor one or two students each for consideration by the Rotary District 6440 scholarship selection committee. That committee will interview and screen applicants further to determine the 10 award winners.
Information and the application form are at https://rotary6440.org/sitepage/vocational-service.
Students sponsored by Schaumburg AM Rotary must submit their application to the club by Monday, March 22, 2021. Interviews will take place early April.
Questions? Email Schaumburg AM Rotary's vocational scholarship chair Jim McKenzie at jim@jtm.us
One size does not fit all when it comes to higher education nor does everyone need the same education to be successful. Many who enter college never obtain degrees or take longer than 4 years to do so, thus adding to student debt load required to finance that degree.
Vocational and trade schools educate and train students in practical skills while providing clear pathways to stable, sustainable, and lucrative careers. As the economics of attending a college or university continues to increase, some may find themselves considering educational alternatives based on cost alone. Not all students are served best by an investment in an expensive four-year degree. For some, trade school offers a path that is practical, accessible, and affordable.
Those who have skills or career goals that could be advanced through a trade or vocational school, will likely earn their professional certification sooner (two years or less, depending on the trade) and at a lower cost, and may enter the workforce in their chosen field sooner than their college-educated peers.
Higher education - in the form of college or trade school - is an important choice that must be carefully evaluated from many different perspectives including future earnings potential, employment outlook and job growth and security and takes into consideration student readiness, interests and learning styles.