The 2026 ILLCF Soy El Futuro! Scholarship & Leadership Program is now open.
Thank you so much for your interest in applying. This program (previously known as the Michael W. Gonzalez Scholarship) awards selected students with $5,000 toward their education, participation in a weekend Leadership Development Seminar, and recognition at the annual gala in November.
To be eligible for the scholarship, applicants must identify as Latino, have never previously received an ILLCF scholarship, and be currently enrolled part-time or full-time in a college or university. Applicants must be working toward one of the following:
As defined by the U.S. Census Bureau, Hispanic/Latino is an ethnic category, not a racial category; students may be of any race.
All applicants are required to submit a letter of recommendation (LOR), along with any additional materials specific to their application—such as a personal statement, business template, or other supporting documents. The LOR must be submitted at the time of application.
When submitting your application, you will also be required to provide your recommender’s full name, organization, email address, and phone number. Please contact your recommender in advance to confirm you have accurate and up-to-date information.
Important: The application must be completed in one sitting. We strongly encourage you to gather all required documents and details before starting the application process. This includes all supporting documents, required essay(s) based on your program, a letter of recommendation, and the optional question (if you choose to answer it). Please review all application requirements on our website before beginning.
For additional guidance, please review the ILLCF Soy El Futuro! Scholarship & Leadership Program: Application Overview and Sample Guide.
Selected students will be notified in early September.
If you have any questions, please contact us at info@illcfoundation.org.
Application Deadline: July 3, 2026 at 11:59 PM CST
Vocational / Certificate / Technical Program Applicants
Before beginning your application, please carefully review the following information and ensure you have all required materials prepared and finalized.
Business / Professional Plan
In addition to your short answer, you will have to submit a brief business/professional plan that presents a potential idea inspired by your educational program.
What You’ll Need to Do
Complete the ILLCF Business Plan Template
Upload your completed plan as a PDF document
Helpful Resources
ILLCF Business Plan Cheat Sheet
U.S. Small Business Association
Forbes Template for a Business Plan
Please make sure your business template is in pdf format. You can learn how to convert your document here!
Thank you so much for your interest in applying to the ILLCF Soy el Futuro Scholarship (previously known as the Michael W. Gonzalez scholarship). Students that are selected receive $5,000 towards their education, participate in a weekend Leadership Development Seminar, and are awarded at the annual gala in November.
To be eligible for the scholarship, an applicant must be Latino, never received the ILLCF scholarship, and be a student currently enrolled part-time or full-time in a college or university and working toward one of the following:
-Certificate program, vocational, technical, or trade school
-Undergraduate or associate degree
-Graduate degree (master's or Ph.D.)
Please note that students without immigration status or DACA recipients whose home residence is Illinois are also welcomed to apply. As defined by the US Census Bureau, Hispanic/Latino is an ethnic category, not a racial category; students may be of any race.
All applicants are required to submit a letter of recommendation (LOR) along with any additional materials specific to their application—such as a personal statement, business template, or other supporting documents. The LOR must be submitted at the time of application. When submitting your application, you will also be required to provide your recommender’s full name, organization, email address, and phone number. Please make sure to contact your reference in advance and confirm you have the correct contact information.
Important: The application must be completed in one sitting, so we strongly encourage you to gather all required documents and details before starting the application process.
If you have any questions, please reach out to info@illcfoundation.org!