Alternative Financial Aid Local Groups Give Away Thousands of Dollars Every Year to Help College Students Foot the Bill

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Byline: Sarah Fowler Daily Herald Staff Writer

With the cost of a four-year degree these days, an extra $500 or $1,000 may seem like a drop in the bucket to students heading off to college.

But when they consider what that money could cover - say, textbooks for a semester with leftover pizza money to boot - they might think again.

And when they contemplate how many hours of cashiering or baby- sitting it might take to raise that money, it becomes even more attractive.

Literally dozens of Naperville-area organizations offer scholarships for students with an array of interests and characteristics - good grades, service to the community, high moral character, even being taller than average.

Show me the money

The Naperville Junior Women's Club, for example, offers scholarships for students living in Naperville Unit District 203 and Indian Prairie Unit District 204.

Lauri Riggen, co-chairwoman of the club's education committee, says both male and female students are welcome to apply for five $1,000 scholarships awarded based on financial need, academic merit and involvement in school and community.

The group also offers one $1,000 scholarship for a Naperville woman returning to post-secondary education.

"We're just trying to help students in the community defray some of the costs of a college education," Riggen said. "We like to think of Naperville as an affluent …