Scholarship Eligibility
Nominees must meet the following eligibility requirements:
- Cumulative grade point average of 3.7 or higher at the time of nomination.
- Have attended Illinois State University for at least four semesters (excluding summer) by June 2025.
- Anticipate graduating no earlier than December 2025, and no later than August 2026.
- Be an undergraduate student at Illinois State during the Fall 2025 semester.
Students who already have a bachelor’s degree are not eligible.
Selection Criteria
Bone Scholars are undergraduate students who combine broad and excellent academic achievement with campus and community engagement. They are expected to have shown outstanding qualities of character and leadership. A selection committee carefully reviews the submitted applications and makes awards based on the following considerations:
- The breadth, diversity, and quality of nominees' academic work.
- The type and extent of activities in which nominees have been involved, both in the university and the community.
- Nominees' personal qualities including dependability, cooperation, initiative, and other criteria determined by the committee.
Bone Scholarship winners will be announced as soon as they are selected, usually in early May.
Nomination Form
Nominations will be submitted via an online form. A link to this form was included in the nomination materials sent to Deans, Department Chairs/School Directors, and Honors Liaisons. Please contact Lauren Palmer for more information.
Nomination forms, including 2 nomination letters, should be submitted by 5 pm on Monday, February 3, 2025. Please review the Guidance for Nomination Letters document.
Information for Nominees
The application deadline is 4:30 pm on Monday, March 3, 2025. Applications will be submitted online. The link for submissions is included in the email students receive notifying them of their nomination. Please contact Lauren Palmer for assistance.
Nominees should provide the Guidance for Letters of Recommendation document to the references who have been asked to submit a letter of recommendation.
Nominees for 2025-2026 Bone Scholarships will be invited to attend an optional workshop to review the application process. Attendance is encouraged, though not required. Please reserve a spot for one of the following optional sessions:
- Thursday, February 6, 4 - 5 pm
- Friday, February 7, 2 - 3 pm
- Monday, February 10, 4 - 5 pm
The workshops will be held in the Honors Program Building.
Past Scholars