The AAUW Crystal Lake Area (IL) Branch sponsors two scholarships to students who meet the eligibility criteria described below.  The awardees are selected by the Friends of MCC Foundation Scholarship Review Committee.

AAUW Crystal Lake Area (IL) Branch McHenry County College Scholarship:
One (1) Award for Fall semester & one (1) Award for Spring semester.
Applicant must complete and submit the scholarship application via the Friends of McHenry County College Foundation scholarship webpage.

Eligibility Requirements:
1. Applicant must be enrolled at MCC as a part-time or full-time student.
2. Applicant must demonstrate financial need.
3. Applicant must be a student 21 years or older.
4. Applicant must be a resident of McHenry County.
5. Applicant must provide an established GPA of 2.5+.
6. Applicant with long terms goals stated in a paragraph.
7. Applicant must submit a 300-word essay outlining how they have personally demonstrated their commitment to empowering women through their own extracurricular, educational, and/or leadership activities.”

Distribution:
Award monies provide up to $750 to recipient for the semester awarded.  No payments will be made to the student directly. The award monies may be used for tuition, books (purchased from the MCC Bookstore), and fees (i.e., Registration, Course, Lab, and Technology)

AAUW Crystal Lake Area (IL) Branch Betty Schmidt Scholarship:
Two (2) awards for the Fall Semester
Applicant must complete and submit the scholarship application via the Friends of McHenry County College Foundation scholarship webpage.
NOTE: Application will be available from May 2025-June 2025. 

Eligibility Requirements:
1. Applicant must complete and submit the MCC Scholarship application.
2. Applicant must be a resident of McHenry County, attended McHenry County College, and will be attending a university partner advanced courses at the University Center at MCC.
3. Applicant must have a minimum 2.5 GPA.
4. Applicant is pursuing in a business-related field (i.e., Business Administration, Finance, Accounting, Marketing, etc.).
5. Applicant must submit a 300-word essay outlining how they have personally
demonstrated their commitment to empowering women through their own
extracurricular, educational, and/or leadership activities.
6. Applicant must submit an essay on their personal, educational, and career goals.
7. Preference to a student demonstrating financial need through FAFSA or their essay.

Distribution:
Award monies provide up to $500 to recipient and only for the semester awarded.  No payments will be made to the student directly. This scholarship is for tuition and fees. (i.e. Registration, Course, Lab, and Technology)

About Betty Schmidt:
Betty Schmidt graduated from Iowa Wesleyan University with a major in economics.  She worked for 35 years for the City of Park Ridge, serving as Finance Director for 29 years.

Following retirement in 1993, Betty and her husband Tom moved to McHenry County, where Betty worked as a consultant for a number of municipalities and for the AARP tax aide program for ten years, assisting low to moderate income elderly. Betty and Tom were also very active in the art community, in which Betty’s floral and landscape paintings were popular at local exhibits.

Betty served as president of the Government Finance Officers Association of Illinois and of the Oil Painters of America.  She was also a long-time member of the Crystal Lake Area Branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW), where she served in various positions, including Treasurer and Publicity Director.

Betty passed away on August 4, 2021.  She was an inspiration to many of our Branch members and is dearly missed.

AAUW Crystal Lake (IL) Area Branch raises funds for scholarships through fundraising events, primarily our Annual Spring Luncheon.