SIU Carbondale surprises local high school students with full-ride scholarships

CARBONDALE, Ill. (KFVS) - In southern Illinois, 30 high school students are receiving the surprise of a lifetime this week.

Leaders at Southern Illinois University Carbondale are on tour, surprising students with a full-ride Chancellor’s Scholarship.

Harrisburg High School senior Rosie Robinson applied for the SIU Chancellor’s Scholarship last fall--a full-ride, complete with housing and books.

She said the surprise is exciting, but also a huge relief.

“I am the youngest of a lot of siblings. A lot of them have gone through college. I’ve also seen the financial stress that can cause. Not only on the student, but the family. So being able to alleviate that is a wonderful opportunity,” Robinson said.

Robinson said she wanted to stay local and attend SIU instead of applying for scholarships elsewhere. She said there’s no need to move when the right opportunities can come your way right here at home.

“I think a lot of people, especially in southern Illinois, they feel kinda stuck here and want to go away to college. But, especially with having a sibling who went to SIU, I have seen firsthand the opportunities that SIU brings. I’m so excited to be there next fall,” she said.

And that is what SIU Admissions Representative Cade Cockburn says the Chancellor’s Scholarship is all about.

“SIU is trying to give back to southern Illinois with our opportunities for students to stay right here,” Cockburn said. “They don’t have to leave to find the school of their dreams, and I think we found that out today here in Harrisburg.”

As for Robinson, she’s excited for the future, but said she couldn’t have done it without her Harrisburg High School family.

“We’re all very tight-knit. Especially my guidance counselor. She even proofread my scholarship essays,” Robinson said. “I went to her with all my anxiety over the scholarship and leading up to the announcements. So I’m very thankful for everyone here.”

In total, 565 high school students competed in the selection process.

SIU leaders say winners were based on academic standing, extracurricular activities, and community leadership.

Students must maintain a 3.0 GPA all four years at SIU to keep the scholarship active.