Juan Salazar of Lima, Peru, has been admitted to the University of Illinois Springfield for the fall semester of 2026 and awarded a $24,000 Star Scholar Award for tuition over four years. At UIS, he will major in business administration. He will also play on the UIS tennis team.

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

In high school, he was involved in tennis, soccer, jazz and symphonic orchestra and theatre.

“I choose UIS because it offers the opportunity to fully develop both my academic and athletic potential,” Salazar said. “I want to challenge myself in the classroom while competing at a high level in tennis and represent the university with commitment and excellence. My goal is to grow as a student-athlete and contribute to taking UIS as far as possible, both academically and athletically.”

Following graduation, he plans on using what he learned at UIS to help him grow as a leader as he pursues professional career opportunities. He also plans to continue playing tennis competitively.  

All undergraduate first-year students are automatically eligible for Star Scholar First Year Scholarships. To receive $24,000 over four years, the student must have an unweighted GPA of 3.75-3.99.

For more information on scholarships, contact the UIS Office of Financial Assistance at 217-206-6724 or finaid@uis.edu. View a full list of scholarship opportunities.

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