university of illinois - UIHistories Project

1196 BOARD OF TRUSTEES [April 17
of Illinois assuming he will live in one of the University residence halls or in
housing accommodations of equivalent standards; a nonresident will need approximately
$1,700 because of the difference in fees.
In 1956-57, the enrollment of undergraduate and professional students (i.e.,
excluding graduate students) in Urbana and in Chicago totaled 25,203. Of this
number 2,700 had tuition-waiver scholarships; 600 had cash-award scholarships
distributed by the University from funds contributed by private donors for
scholarship purposes; and 250 had cash scholarships received directly from outside
scholarship agencies. Thus a total of 3,550 received some form of scholarship
aid, or about one out of seven students.
The present University scholarship program is inadequate because: there
are many students with superior academic records who need but are not receiving
scholarship aid, and who either can not attend the University or can not
remain; there are many students under the present scholarship program who
have demonstrated need for more financial aid than can be given them.
The foregoing is an abstract of parts of a comprehensive report submitted
by the Committee on Undergraduate Scholarships in support of recommendations
for expansion of the University's undergraduate scholarship program.
Consideration is being given to ways and means of increasing scholarship
opportunities at the University of Illinois — through enlarging gifts and grants
for this purpose, through encouraging privately supported scholarship programs,
and through cooperation with state and federal programs. Accordingly, no
recommendations are being made at this time to establish or increase University
expenditures for this purpose. However, in view of the general need outlined
above, it is timely to correct certain inequities that now exist in the allocation
of tuition awards for scholarship purposes.
Scholarships which provide exemption from payment of tuition have been
established from time to time by the General Assembly of Illinois and presently
include:
1. County Scholarships, awarded on the basis of competitive examinations.
2. Military Scholarships, awarded on application and proof of military service
to persons who served in the armed forces of the United States during World
Wars I and II and at any time after September 16, 1040.
3. Scholarships for children of veterans of World Wars I and II and the war
in Korea, also awarded on the basis of competitive examinations, with preference
given to children of deceased or disabled veterans.
4. General Assembly Scholarships, awarded on nomination by members of the
General Assembly.
The Board of Trustees has authority under state law to establish such additional
scholarships as the Board sees fit, to be awarded on the basis of scholastic
proficiency.
Extension of County Scholarships
State law provides for the award of one scholarship in each county of the
state to the high school senior who passes with the highest average a competitive
examination given on the last Friday or Saturday in April under the supervision
of the County Superintendent of Schools, provided the grade is at least 70
per cent. Applicants who have had any work beyond the high school level are
not eligible to compete. The holder of a County Scholarship is entitled to four
years of gratuitous instruction. The law provides for only one scholarship in
each county regardless of the population. Many years ago the Board of Trustees
took partial measures to correct this inequity in relationship to population distribution
by creating 66 additional scholarships in Cook County, awarded on
the basis of the same competitive examination, so that in addition to the highest
ranking candidate the next 66 ranking candidates in the examination also win
scholarships.
In view of the wide variation in population in several counties, the Committee
on Undergraduate Scholarships recommends that the Board make adjustments
in the County Scholarships awarded by authorizing additional scholarships
as follows:
In counties with populations between 50,000 and 100,000, one scholarship