Impacting Students & Families Since 1924

Since 1924, the Oak Park and River Forest High School Scholarship Foundation has awarded college scholarships to hundreds of OPRFHS graduates who have demonstrated academic excellence, initiative, leadership, and financial need. In recent years, the foundation has increased the number of scholarships that are given each spring, enabled in large part by the generosity of parents, retirees, alumni, and friends of the high school. 

In the last 15 years, the Foundation has awarded OPRFHS seniors more than 800 scholarships for post-secondary study. This support makes a meaningful difference to help our students meet the high cost of college tuition.

I would like to thank you wholeheartedly for helping me pursue my passion for theater by awarding me this scholarship. You have no idea what kind of impact it has on me as I go on to life after high school…it gives me the confidence I need.

– Scholarship Recipient

Impactful Giving

Thanks to the generous support from our community, An Evening of Jazz Under the Stars on October 12, 2018 at the home of Mary Jo and Stephen Schuler has raised more than $120,000 to support summer enrichment grants and college scholarships for Oak Park and River Forest High School students. This total includes a generous $50,000 matching gift from an anonymous donor. We are excited about the opportunity to further enrich the lives of youth in our community due to this wonderful event that brought more than 150 guests together to promote student success. The event also inspired one family to establish an endowed renewable scholarship. This four-year $2,000 annual scholarship will benefit a graduating senior who is planning to attend a historically-black college or is a first-generation to college student.