The President’s Award Program (PAP) assists the University of Illinois to enroll highly capable students who have been admitted to one of the U of I campuses and are members of historically underrepresented groups and groups that have been less likely to enroll at the university. High-achieving newly-admitted freshmen from several underrepresented groups are considered for the PAP award. The number of awards given each year is variable, depending on the pool of qualified applicants.
To be eligible for consideration, students must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents, be Illinois residents, and have demonstrated outstanding academic achievement while graduating from an Illinois high school. In addition, these students must have an ACT composite score of 25 or higher or a combined verbal and quantitative SAT score of 1220 or higher. A limited number of students with lower ACT or SAT scores may also be considered depending on their overall record of academic achievement. During school, a 2.0 GPA is required.