Laurel Scholarship and Mentorship Program

The Laurel Scholarship is a Chicago-based, small mentorship program that offers pre-arrival programming, a full-tuition scholarship, and additional need-based financial aid to assist with the cost of room and board for those who qualify.

Through this program, students will benefit from the opportunity to bond with a cohort and prepare for the college transition with mentorship from recent Black alumni. The scholarship is being offered for the first time this year and will be awarded to 10 scholars.

Start the process with a Preliminary Application (2 minutes)!

Your Contact

Meet Assistant Director of Admission Christian Morris ’18.

Student jumping rope outside the Black Cultural Center

Eligibility

home address in the City of Chicago or Cook County, Ill.
Black or Afro-descendant (if multiracial, Black must be one of the races)
U.S. citizen or permanent resident
record of academic success in a rigorous college-prep curriculum
community-minded coalition-builder

Want to learn more?

Email Christian about the Laurel Scholarship and Mentorship Program.
Join Grinnell’s mailing list to learn even more.
Sign up for a Laurel Scholarship virtual information session (summer and fall only).

Applying

All eligible applicants for admission to Grinnell College will automatically be considered for the scholarship. There is no separate application required, and students do not need to indicate on their application that they are interested in the scholarship. Please note, Grinnell College defines a full application as either the Common Application or the QuestBridge Application. Those wishing to be considered for need-based financial aid, in addition to the Laurel Scholarship, should follow the application instructions outlined on the financial aid webpage.

Applicants will be considered for the scholarship during Early Decision I, Early Decision II, and Regular Decision, but preference will be given to Early Decision applicants. Transfer applicants and QuestBridge Match students who match with Grinnell will not be eligible to receive the scholarship.

Nominating Students

Are you a high school teacher, college counselor, or college/CBO adviser working with a student who you think would be a good fit for this program?

Nominate your students here!