The SBS Merit Scholarship

The Swiss Benevolent Society celebrates its 150th Anniversary in 2022 and is pleased to continue to offer its Merit Scholarships to students in three selected Chicago Public Schools. In an attempt to strengthen the Society’s commitment to benevolence and to give something back to a Chicago that provided a home to Swiss immigrants since the early years of the 19th century, the committee decided to make scholarships available for underprivileged yet ambitious students in Chicago Public Schools.

The members of the Education Committee identified George Westinghouse College Prep, Lane Tech College Prep High School, and Gwendolyn Brooks College Preparatory Academy in Chicago as target schools to work with. All three schools have a high college attendance rate among their graduates and are among the most successful in the Chicago Public School system. They also have a significant percentage of low income and minority students.

We are currently awarding four merit- and need-based scholarships to college bound students and work directly with college counselors, who identify a group of deserving students in our three schools. Students then apply to the Society and the winners are chosen based on their background, grades, and essays. Students who apply are generally highly motivated young people with ambitious personal and educational goals.