The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services is now accepting applications for a scholarship program for college-bound youth who are or formerly were in the care of the department.

The scholarships include four awards reserved for the children of veterans, and two presented to students pursuing degrees in social work. The latter awards honor the memory of Pamela Knight, a DCFS investigator who was brutally attacked and beaten while trying to rescue a 2-year-old downstate in 2018 and later died, and Deidre Silas, a DCFS caseworker who was killed in 2022 while performing a home visit in Thayer, Illinois, south of Springfield.

Scholarship recipients receive up to five consecutive years of tuition and academic fee waivers if they go to a public university or community college, DCFS said. They also receive a monthly grant of $1,577 to offset other expenses and a medical card.

"Every young person in Illinois deserves the opportunity to pursue their education and build a future filled with possibility," Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said in a news release. "The DCFS Scholarship Program opens doors to current and former youth in care by providing the financial stability and support they need to succeed beyond high school, from textbooks, tuition and health insurance. I strongly encourage all eligible students to apply and take advantage of this life-changing opportunity." 

The scholarship program is available to youth who have an open DCFS case, whose cases were closed through adoption or guardianship, or who aged out of DCFS care upon turning 18, the department said.

The scholarships are distributed based on students' academic performance in school and community and extracurricular activities, as well as three recommendations from non-relatives and a personal essay in which they outline what they hope to gain from higher education.

Students who earn the scholarships can go to traditional colleges or universities, community colleges, or trade schools.

In 2025, the DCFS earned 334 scholarships.

Applications for 2026 are available online, and must be completed by March 31. Questions are taken at the DCFS Office of Education and Transition Services, at 217-557-2689, or by email at DCFS.Scholarship@illinois.gov.