Frequently Asked Questions
Who is eligible to apply for the Lincoln Award?
Applicants for a Lincoln Award must be residents of Illinois when they apply to Trinity College. A student qualifies as a resident of Illinois if he or she lives in Illinois, even if attending a boarding school out of state. The reverse is not true. A student residing outside of Illinois is not eligible, even if attending high school in Illinois.
Applicants for the Lincoln Award must have applied to Trinity College under the Regular Decision program for the coming academic year. Early Decision I and II applicants are not eligible for the Lincoln Award.
How do I apply for the Lincoln Award?
Applicants for the Lincoln Award must first apply Regular Decision to Trinity College, which can be done here. Applicants must also complete a short waiver to allow the SIRI Board to access their application to Trinity College, which can be done here.
If you have any questions, please contact us at illinoisscholars@gmail.com.
What is the application process?
Applicants for the Lincoln Award must first apply Regular Decision to Trinity College, which you can do here. Applicants must also complete a short waiver to allow the SIRI Board to access their application to Trinity College, which can be done here. There are no additional materials needed to apply for the scholarship.
The Selection Committee meets in January to select finalists for the Lincoln Award. Finalists are notified and invited to interview in February.
The full Board meets in late February and selects the Lincoln Scholar(s) based on their interview, academic and extracurricular accomplishments, and likelihood to thrive at Trinity College.
Upon offering the Lincoln Award, SIRI provides the awardee(s) and one guardian a fully-funded opportunity to visit Trinity College, meet with current scholars, and attend a class.
When are Lincoln Scholars notified?
Finalists for the Lincoln Award will be contacted for an interview in February. Awardees will be notified before April 1st.
How many scholarships are awarded?
The Board typically awards between one and three Lincoln Awards each year, depending on the strength of the applicant pool and other factors.
What makes a successful applicant?
Successful applicants are leaders in the classroom, in their schools, and in their communities. They challenge themselves, taking and excelling in advanced classes as their school offers, delving deeply into their interests, and making meaningful relationships with teachers and peers. They are exceptional writers, deep thinkers, and passionate about their interests.
Some recent Scholars have been student government presidents, captains of varsity sports and math teams, stage managers of their theater programs, and editors of their school newspapers. Others spent significant time in high school working part-time jobs, volunteering at a community organization, or caring for younger siblings.
Leadership can take many forms and the Board takes care to appreciate the different backgrounds that applicants may bring to SIRI and Trinity College.
We encourage all applicants to Trinity College from Illinois to apply for the Lincoln Award, which you can do here.
What are the conditions for maintaining the scholarship?
The Lincoln Award is automatically renewed for four years of study at Trinity College. While Scholars are expected to stay in good standing with the College, there is no minimum grade point average necessary to maintain the Lincoln Award. Scholars are expected to excel academically and perform to the best of their abilities at Trinity College.
How does studying away impact the Lincoln Award?
Lincoln Scholars are encouraged to take advantage of all the opportunities at Trinity College, including study away. Recent scholars have studied at locations such as the University of Amsterdam, the University of Oxford, and the Danish Institute of Study Abroad in Copenhagen.
Trinity College offers five different study away programs through the College. If the Scholar chooses to participate in one of those programs, SIRI will continue to pay home school tuition according to Trinity’s policy. If the Scholar is interested in an alternative program, SIRI will work with the student to fund that opportunity.