Mackenzie Scroggins of Greenview, Illinois, has been admitted to the University of Illinois Springfield for Fall Semester 2025 and awarded an $8,000 Star Scholar Award for tuition over two years. At UIS, she will major in pre-nursing. 

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

In high school, she was involved in volleyball, track and field, scholastics bowl, STEM club, yearbook and the National Honor Society.

“I love how the campus is small, close to home and not overwhelming for someone from a very small town like me,” Scroggins said. 

Following her two years of pre-nursing at UIS, she plans to attend the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Nursing’s Springfield Regional Campus to earn her bachelors of science in nursing (BSN). After graduation, Scroggins hopes to work as a nurse in Central Illinois and then begin traveling. 

All undergraduate first-year students are automatically eligible for Star Scholar First Year Scholarships. To receive $8,000 over two years, the student must have an unweighted GPA of 3.25-3.49. 

For more information on scholarships, contact the UIS Office of Financial Assistance at 217-206-6724 or finaid@uis.edu. A full list of scholarship opportunities is available on the financial assistance website.

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