Awards Available for Undergraduates
Recognizing Excellence
CS student awards recognize achievement and leadership contributions in the classroom and in the research lab.
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Department-Endowed Awards
Jeffrey P. Blahut Memorial Scholarship
This scholarship was established in 2005 by the friends and family of Jeffrey Blahut, a former computer science student, to honor his memory. Jeffrey was the son of Barbara and Richard Blahut, who is the former Head of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. The scholarship is for CS majors entering their junior or senior years and is selected based on academic merit.
Channing Brown Scholarship
In 1980, Channing Brown earned a B.S. in computer science from the University of Illinois, followed by an M.S. from Berkeley. After a 23-year career as a software engineer in the telecommunications industry, he returned to Illinois to work for NCSA. In 2010, he endowed this scholarship to support undergraduates.
Sara and Louis Cohen Undergraduate Scholarship
Ira Cohen earned his B.S. in computer science from the University of Illinois in 1981. Ira is vice president of Advanced Systems Concepts, in Schaumburg, Illinois, where he provides productivity tools for midrange IBM systems. The scholarship was established to honor Ira’s grandparents. Scholarship winners are chosen based on academic merit.
Dunn Systems Undergraduate Scholarship
Bill Dunn earned his BS in 1985 and MS in 1987 in computer science from the University of Illinois. He established the Dunn Systems Scholarship in honor of his father Arthur R. Dunn. After a brief time at Bell Laboratories, Dunn started Dunn Systems in 1988 and continues to serve as president. The consulting company, now called Dunn Solutions Group, is located in Skokie, Illinois. The winners of this scholarship are chosen based on academic merit and an essay submission.
Franz Hohn and J.P. Nash Scholarship
Established in 1997 by our late alumnus Gene Golub, who was the Fletcher Jones Professor of Computer Science at Stanford University. He established this award in honor of two Illinois professors who influenced his life: Franz Hohn and Jack Nash, pioneers in the field of applied and computational mathematics.
Michael S. Hughes Award in Software Engineering
Michael Hughes earned his BS in 1989 in computer science at the University of Illinois. An expert in network security, he is a software development manager for McAfee, the anti-virus unit of Network Associates. He established the Hughes Award for Software Engineering Excellence to encourage and reward achievement in software engineering. The award is given to members of the best project completed in the software engineering sequence, CS 428.
Duncan H. Lawrie Leadership Award
Professor Duncan H. Lawrie was Head of the Department of Computer Science from 1990-1996. The Duncan H. Lawrie Award is made in recognition of his longtime contributions and services to the Department of Computer Science and the University of Illinois. Lawrie chose to direct the award to undergraduate students enrolled in the Department of Computer Science who have demonstrated not only academic achievement, but exemplary student leadership and citizenship. This award is given to a student showing superior qualities of leadership and good citizenship.
Frima Lukatskaya in Computer Science
The Frima Lukatskaya Scholarship in Computer Science honors an incoming freshman student in the College of Engineering majoring in Computer Science who demonstrates remarkable passion about programming. The scholarship provides a full year of in-state* tuition and housing assistance, and is renewable for up to three additional years with strong academic performance. In addition, the winner of the Frima Lukatskaya Scholarship will have an opportunity to meet with Max Levchin.
The Frima Lukatskaya Scholarship was established by Illinois computer science alumnus Max Levchin (founder of PayPal and Slide, and VP of Engineering at Google) in honor of his grandmother, who, through her remarkable life and career in science, taught him that talent and knowledge must be catalyzed by relentless drive to achieve excellence.
* - Out of state students are eligible to apply; however the tuition assistance offered by this scholarship will only cover the in-state costs.
John R. Pasta Outstanding Undergraduate Award
Professor Pasta came to Illinois as a physicist from Los Alamos and the Atomic Energy Commission. He became head of the department in 1964, which was the same year that the Digital Computer Laboratory reorganized as the Department of Computer Science. Two John R. Pasta Outstanding Undergraduate Awards were established by friends and colleagues upon his death in 1981. The awards are presented to the outstanding juniors in our undergraduate programs. Winner selections are based on academic merit.
Rowe Family Scholarship
This scholarship has been established by the Rowe family, including Craig Rowe (BS Computer Science, BA Economics, 1990), Ulku Rowe (MS Computer Science, 1997), James Rowe (BA Political Science, 1988), and Cynthia Rowe (BS Microbiology, 1988), in order to honor Hubert and Bonnie Scott Baker, the grandparents of Craig and James.
This scholarship is for incoming freshmen, with a preference for those who are Illinois residents with demonstrated financial need. This scholarship may be renewed for up to three additional years.
Daniel L. Slotnick Scholarship
Professor Slotnick arrived here from Westinghouse Corporation. Some years earlier he worked at the von Neumann Computer project at the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton. He was Head of the ILLIAC IV project which, at the time (1965) was the fastest computer in the world! It had semiconductor memory and was the first outside of IBM to use circuit card design automation, ECL integrated circuits, and multilayer circuit boards on a large scale. Professor Slotnick was also a pioneer in the new concept of parallel computation. He was a Professor here in the Department of Computer Science until his death in 1985. The Daniel L. Slotnick Scholarship was established by friends and colleagues for undergraduates based on academic merit, exceptional leadership qualities, and good citizenship.
Susan Silver and Ross Erlebacher Scholarship
Susan Silver graduated from the University of Illinois in 1988 with a B.A. in economics, and she has been recognized as one of Chicago’s leading real estate brokers. Ross Erlebacher studied computer science at Illinois, finishing with an M.S. in 1989, and he is a successful technology consultant. Susan and Ross married in 1992.
The Susan Silver and Ross Erlebacher Scholarship was established to help those without means attend the University. Preference is given to female or under-represented minority students. Winners may receive the scholarship for up to four years. This scholarship rotates between the Department of Computer Science and the Department of Economics.
James N. Snyder Award for Scholastic Achievement
James N. Snyder was a Physicist and programmer for the ILLIAC I. He helped establish the Institute for the Certificate of Computer Professionals (ICCP) and served on its board of directors. Professor Snyder was Head of the Department from 1970-1985, which were rapid-growth years. This award was established by friends and colleagues upon his death in 1985, and is awarded to sophomores based on academic merit.
Spyglass Undergraduate Scholarship
Established by Doug and Margaret Colbeth. Doug is president of Spyglass Inc., a World Wide Web technology company based in Naperville, Illinois. Spyglass was co-founded by alumni Tim Krauskopf and Brand Fortner. The purpose of the scholarship is to attract and retain more women in the field of computer science, and is based on academic merit.
William and Ruth Witt Scholarship
The Cohens have established the William and Ruth Witt scholarship in honor of Debra Cohen’s parents, with the purpose of recognizing outstanding undergraduate women in computer science.
Campus and College Awards
Merit Scholarships for Incoming Freshmen
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign offers merit scholarships to incoming freshmen. The merit scholarships are based (at least partly) on scores on the ACT or SAT and on the high school rank. A student’s application to the university serves as the scholarship application. (learn more)
Selected Scholarships and Awards for Continuing Students
- 4.0 Seniors
- Bronze Tablet
- Andrea J. Culumber Award
- Engineering Council Outstanding Student Contribution Scholarship
- Knights of St. Patrick
Corporate Sponsored Awards
The following corporate partners have generously provided computer science scholarships:
- Cicso Systems
- CNA Insurance
- Crowe Horwath LLP
- State Farm Insurance
- John Deere
- Jump Trading
- Lockheed Martin Corporation
- Motorola, Inc.
- Rockwell Collins, Inc.
- Qualcomm, Inc.
National Awards
Illinois CS students are among the best in the nation.
- Computing Research Association (CRA) Outstanding Student Award
- Google Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship
