student support: Helping Dreams Come True
A Bright, New Future
Ultimately, students benefit from all your gifts to UIS. But three gifts of special importance go straight from you to the students, helping them achieve their dream of graduation and a bright, new future:
- Scholarships
Scholarship Recipients for 2008-2009 - Research Support
- Housing Support
The importance of scholarships
Did you know that almost all students at UIS work part-time--and some work fulltime--to cover their expenses? Many "stop out" to earn money and many 
also go into considerable debt to afford a college education.
- Scholarships keep students in college at UIS by bridging the gap between what students can pay for through
work, savings, and loans and what their education actually costs.
You keep their dreams alive through your scholarship gifts.
Your scholarships do even more:
- Scholarships help to bring the brightest and best academic students to UIS--and these students enrich everyone's education at UIS.
- Scholarships keep our university vibrant and stimulating by allowing us also to attract students with diverse talents and experiences.
- Scholarships provide access to students who might never have considered college a possibility--they are here because of you.
You can either create your own named scholarship or you can add any amount to already established scholarship funds--and we have over 100 to choose 
from with many different criteria. Call us at 217.206.6058 or use the link at left to send a question--we'll help you choose a scholarship fund that you'll be proud to contribute to.
Every gift makes a difference!
The importance of research
UIS prides itself on giving students an intimate learning environment where professors know their students' names and take a personal interest in each of them.
One of the best ways for this close learning relationship to develop is through research. Together faculty and students
- propose problems,
- choose a way to investigate solutions,
- make changes as necessary, and then
report their results.
Through this entire process, faculty mentor students, and students grow in knowledge, experience, and confidence, making UIS an phenomenal incubator for growing future leaders.
You can fuel this important endeavor through your gifts to funds for equipment, internships, and travel. You can choose what kind of research to support. You can choose how your money will be spent. Your interest, your choice! And we are here to help you make that important connection to what will inspire you.
The importance of housing
Study after study shows that students who live on campus do better academically and socially than students who live off campus. This is especially true for students who are the first in the family to attend college.
On campus, everyone understands the need to study, write papers, prepare for finals; at home, this is not always true.
On campus, students also encounter diversity in many forms, something that broadens their understanding of life, their confidence, and their ability to be of service following graduation.
Many students cannot afford to live at campus. Through your gifts, you can help students benefit from the life-changing effect of on-campus housing.
Other Student Support
Student support also includes assistantships for graduate students, travel funds for students to attend conferences and take part in study abroad experiences, prizes and awards, and emergency funds. This year we are also beginning a student leadership program.
Questions?
Email us at giftinfo@uis.edu, call 217-206-6058, or use the link at left to send a question.
