Each year, U of I Community Credit Union awards seven college-bound high school seniors a scholarship up to $1,000 based on the Illinois college of their choice. The Orange & Blue Scholarship Program is designed to benefit students who are U of I Community Credit Union members (and/or legal guardians are members) and will be attending the University of Illinois, Parkland College, and other Illinois colleges and universities.
Scholarship applications are reviewed by a team of volunteers at the U of I Community Credit Union and are given a score based on the information and documents submitted. Applicants are asked various questions including their favorite activities throughout high school, and any honors or awards they have received. They are also required to submit two letters of recommendation and an essay relating to the benefits of credit unions.
“We are incredibly proud of our 2023 Scholarship recipients,” said Lisa Paul, UICCU Senior Vice President & Chief Experience Officer, “These students went above and beyond not only academically, but by impacting their communities as well. And for that, they deserve all the praise!”
The 2023 Orange & Blue Scholarship winners have been announced and were recognized on UICCU’s social media channels in August. UICCU is proud to announce the 2023 Orange & Blue Scholarship recipients:
Bradley University
● Halle Palmer – Normal Community High School
Parkland Community College
● Hailey Downs – Tuscola Community High School
● Louiemar Santos – Centennial High School
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
● Lydia Burger – Monticello High School
● Sophia Stierwalt – Unity High School
● Grant Powell – Oakwood High School
● Marilyn Rose Atkinson – Academy High
Details about the scholarship are available online at uoficreditunion.org/resources/orange-blue-scholarship/.
U of I Community Credit Union is a not-for-profit, member-owned cooperative that provides a wide range of financial products and services to anyone who lives or works in Champaign, Ford, Piatt, Douglas, Vermilion, Coles, Dewitt, Edgar, Iroquois, McLean, Moultrie, and Sangamon, IL counties as well as University of Illinois employees, Carle employees and other select employee groups. UICCU was named one of the 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 Best Places to Work in Illinois, 2019 and 2020 Best Credit Unions to Work For and 2019 Tops in the 217 Winner for Banks/Credit Unions. To learn more, visit uoficreditunion.org.