Qualified Students:

• Currently enrolled in a 2 or 4  year post-secondary institution located within the city of Chicago
• Completed a minimum of 24 credit hours at a Community College, College, University, or Trade School
• Minimum GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale
• Documented evidence of prior community service with recognized groups, such as church and charitable organizations. Top preference will be given to applicants who have prior volunteer experience with any Rotary club worldwide.

Exclusions:

• Scholarship is not open to Rotarians or those with current Rotarians (within the last six months) as immediate family members
• Previous ROTARY/One scholarship winners

Submittal Instructions:

Please email your application as a .pdf to rotary1grant@gmail.com. Applications received after the deadline will not be considered. All applications must be fully completed; incomplete applications will be disqualified. 

Usage of AI: All information contained within the application is certified to be true and accurate to the best of the applicant’s knowledge. You must certify that no information in the application has been generated from an artificial intelligence source (e.g., ChatGPT). Should any information be found to be verified as fraudulent, your application will be immediately dismissed and you will be prohibited from applying for future Rotary/One scholarships or grants. 

Application Contents (in this order):

1. Basic biographical information. Include a minimum your name, school, major, current residential address, contact e-mail, parental consent (if under 18), and contact phone number.
2. Resume
3. Service Experience. in 250-300 words, explain your history of community service. Please respond to the following prompts:
   • What organization/cause did you volunteer with and for how long?
   • Why did you choose this organization/cause?
   • How did this experience impact you?
4. Need. Please discuss how this money will impact your ability to complete your degree.
5. Unofficial transcripts

Two Letters of reference from non-family members. One letter must be from a faculty member at your current institution and one from an individual with direct knowledge of your completed service. If letters of recommendation are not included within the time frame, the application will not be reviewed. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure both letters are submitted on time.

Documentation of all reported service is required in the form of a hand-signed letter (scanned and attached to the email). The letter must include the following information:

1. Dates of involvement
2. Organization name
3. Student role in the service project
4. Phone number and email of the letter writer

Schedule

Applications are due by midnight CST, December 1, 2025. Scholarship results are expected to be announced in January.

The Rotary/One Community Service Committee reviews all scholarship applications and has final say on whether a scholarship will be awarded. The Committee may request further information on your application prior to approval. 

Please submit questions to Rotary1grant@gmail.com