Posted on Jan 14, 2020
 
Schaumburg AM Rotary invites local students pursuing vocational or trade careers and working toward an associate degree, diploma or certificate to apply for $1,500 scholarships.   Rotary encourages education and will grant 10 scholarships this spring to students living in Chicago’s north, northwest and many western suburbs.
 
This program is designed to provide scholarships to students demonstrating financial need who will be pursuing education/training beyond high school in a vocational or technical area.  It is not intended for students pursuing traditional four-year Bachelor’s degree programs.  
 
Vocational career examples are auto mechanics, administrative assistants, heating/ventilating/air conditioning tech., computer tech., paralegal, pharmacy tech., human services, law enforcement, elder care and many other fields.
 
Eligibility requirements include the following -
  1. High School Graduate, GED, or non-traditional student entering a vocational program
  2. Be sponsored by a Rotary District 6440 Club (each club can sponsor two applicants)
  3. Be accepted at a school of designation
  4. Permanent residence (domiciled) or employed in District 6440*
*NoteResiding outside District 6440 for educational purposes is not a disqualification.
 
Candidates must be sponsored by their local Rotary club and show good high school grades in relevant subjects, work experience in their chosen field, volunteer work in their chosen field, good extracurricular activities, character recommendations and more.  Rotary clubs will screen applicants and sponsor one or two students each to the suburban Rotary selection committee.  That committee will interview and screen applicants further to help determine the 10 vocational scholarship winners.
 
Information and the application form are at https://rotary6440.org/sitepage/vocational-service
 
Students sponsored by Schaumburg AM Rotary must submit their application to the club by Friday, March 13, 2020.
 
Questions? Email Schaumburg AM Rotary's vocational scholarship chair Jim McKenzie at jim@jtm.us
 

 
One size does not fit all when it comes to higher education nor does everyone need the same education to be successful.  Many who enter college never obtain degrees or take longer than 4 years to do so, thus adding to student debt load required to finance that degree.
 
Vocational and trade schools educate and train students in practical skills while providing clear pathways to stable, sustainable and lucrative careers. As the economics of attending a college or university continues to increase, some may find themselves considering educational alternatives based on cost alone.  Not all students are served best by an investment in an expensive four-year degree. For some, trade school offers a path that is practical, accessible and affordable.
 
Those who have skills or career goals that could be advanced through a trade or vocational school, will likely earn their professional certification sooner (two years or less, depending on the trade) and at a lower cost, and may enter the workforce in their chosen field sooner than their college-educated peers.
 
Higher education - in the form of college or trade school - is an important choice that must be carefully evaluated from many different perspectives including future earnings potential, employment outlook and job growth and security and takes into consideration student readiness, interests and learning styles.