Forge Ahead Scholarship Fund

Criteria includes:

• Applicant must be pursuing an associate degree or certificate at MCC.
• Applicant must provide proof have a 2.5 GPA (high school) or 2.75 GPA (college).
• Applicant must provide evidence of financial need by applying for FAFSA. Preference will be given to applicants who are receiving no other form of financial aid.
• Applicant must be a resident of the McHenry County.
• Applicant must present two letters of recommendation from high school instructors / administrator or current MCC instructors.
• Applicants must complete an essay outlining his/her educational and career goals.

Established in Fall 2013, the Forge Ahead Scholarship Fund awards up to 20 scholarships annually to MCC students. The scholarship was established and funded by donor Michael Klingenberg. He stated, "I believe that for most people there is nothing more important than education in determining an enjoyable career path, standard of living, general happiness and pride in what you contribute to society. MCC is a great place to continue your education after high school, whether you are interested in a trade, an associate’s degree or eventually continuing on to a four-year university and possibly beyond. MCC provides a great education value that I choose to support in order to help students who want to advance their education, but may not have the financial resources to do so without some assistance. Recipients of the Forge Ahead Scholarship Fund also have the opportunity for additional scholarship monies when they transfer to an Illinois state university via the Forge Ahead University Scholarship.