Dalton Thomas of Morrisonville, Illinois, has been admitted to the University of Illinois Springfield for the spring 2026 semester and awarded a $16,000 Star Scholar Award for tuition over four years. At UIS, he will major in secondary history education.

The scholarship is awarded based on high school GPA and can be renewed if the student maintains college GPA requirements.

In high school, Thomas was involved in student council, FFA and multiple sports, including football, baseball and basketball.

“Attending UIS gives me the opportunity to get a good education while staying focused on my military career,” Thomas said. “It also allows me to stay involved with my family and relationship.”

After graduation, Thomas plans to pursue a career as a high school history teacher and work toward earning other endorsements so he can teach additional subjects.

All undergraduate first-year students are automatically eligible for Star Scholar First Year Scholarships. To receive $16,000 over four years, the student must have an unweighted GPA of 3.25-3.49.

For more information on scholarships, contact the UIS Office of Financial Assistance at 217-206-6724 or finaid@uis.edu. A full list of scholarship opportunities is available on the financial assistance website.

Students may apply online for admission to UIS. Contact the UIS Office of Admission at admissions@uis.edu or 217-206-4847 with questions.