CARE strives to educate and empower students by bringing in experienced volunteers to high school classrooms to share their financial knowledge and personal stories with students.
The CARE Chicago scholarship was established to promote building strong personal finance habits early in adulthood and to support the pursuit of continual learning. A student applying for the scholarship must submit a short essay about a concept that the student learned in a CARE classroom discussion or about how the student plans to share with a friend or family member a concept discussed in a CARE presentation. It is our hope to encourage these students to envision how they will apply these financial literacy concepts to their own lives after graduation, and to consider how they might assist in our mission and bring this awareness to others. The scholarship application facilitates this thought process.
The CARE board looks forward to reading the student scholarship submissions to gain greater insight into the lessons that most resonate with and inspire our students, so we can continually improve our curriculum offering. It is important to note that ALL submissions that meet the basic criteria will have an equal chance of being selected for a scholarship.
Testimonials
“Now, as a 17 year old, I feel more confident in owning a credit card and plan to build my credit score by applying his suggestion to pay your bills as quick as possible, do it on time, and watch your spending because this isn’t free.”
Brian N. Niles West High School
“… I’ve learned that misusing credit like overspending or making late payments can lead to debt and a damaged score that can take years to fix. I don’t want to rely on credit for everything or treat them like free money. Instead, I’ll use credit as a privilege not a crutch, making purchases I can afford to pay off on time, and building a strong credit history slowly and wisely. Credit should support my goals, not become a burden and take me down….”
London L. Downers Grove South High School
“The CARE presentation brought my drive for college back to life, and I will carry it with me through my hard work in college.”
Ange A. Hampshire High School
“The CARE speakers provide students with not only a great presentation filled with useful information, but they can also give students a look at what it means to be a professional. They are an example for students about what it looks like to be in the work force with a college degree, which is just as important as the information being presented.”
Christian H. Maine South High School
“Hearing the speakers share their personal experiences in the classroom helped me better understand the process of paying for college in a way that is less worrisome and more hopeful. The speakers gave me multiple strategies for paying for college that I am
currently using….”
Mia B. DeVry University Advantage Academy Highschool
“From today’s CARE presentation, I learned how to prioritize my income better by decreasing extra expenses to take care of actual necessities. I also learned how to be more discrete with my private information, choosing more secure passwords and avoiding spams…”