Catholic Education

An Investment in the Future

De La Salle Institute

Chicago’s Catholic High School

Where Great Futures Begin

Faith, Service and Community are key tenets of a Lasallian education, and are representative of the letters that follow the name of a Christian Brother – F.S.C. – meaning Fratres Scholarum Christianarum. The De La Salle Brothers are a Catholic religious teaching congregation, founded in France by Jean-Baptiste de La Salle, the patron saint of teachers. Today, Saint de La Salle’s educational movement spans the globe.

We use the FACTS Grant and Aid Assessment (FACTS) to determine financial aid eligibility. The window for submitting completed financial aid applications opened on Sunday, October 1, 2023.

Families MUST apply online. 

  • Families seeking financial assistance must fill out the FACTS Application if they wish to be considered for financial aid from us or any of our partner scholarship organizations.
  • Approximately 75% of students receive financial aid or scholarships from De La Salle and over $1.7 million in aid was awarded to our students for the 2022-2023 school year!

Below are scholarship opportunities available to incoming De La Salle Institute freshmen to advance Lasallian education and its core values of Faith, Service and Community.

St. John Baptist De La Salle Leader Scholar Award

De La Salle Institute is an independent Catholic high school rooted in the tradition of Christian Education begun by St. John Baptist de La Salle. St. John Baptist de La Salle was an extraordinary leader and founded the Lasallian network of schools that serves over 1 million students today worldwide.

Incoming freshmen may apply for the St. John Baptist de La Salle Scholarship, a $2,000 scholarship that will be awarded to up to ten qualifying incoming freshmen. To be considered, applicants must:

  • Take the Entrance Exam at De La Salle Institute in December 2023
  • Be admitted to De La Salle Institute as a member of the Class of 2028
  • Have no grades lower than a B (3 for standards based) in their core classes, which consist of English, Math, Science, History and Religion (if applicable).
  • Have an exemplary disciplinary record at their present school
  • Demonstrate leadership in academics, arts, athletics and/or service.

To be considered, applicants must submit 250 word responses to each of the following questions:

  1. How have you demonstrated leadership qualities in your life?
  2. How will your leadership skills influence your future?
  3. Identify a leader whose qualities you emulate and why.

Application deadline is January 31, 2024.

The application for the St. John Baptist De La Salle Leader Scholar Award is available here.

Finalists will interview with the scholarship selection committee in early February before awards are made.

This $2,000 award can be renewed for a student’s sophomore, junior and senior years as long as a 3.0 GPA is maintained and the student is involved in two or more extracurricular activities at De La Salle. A FACTS application for financial aid must also be completed each year.

Faith and Service Scholarship

De La Salle Institute is a community of faith rooted in the Catholic and Lasallian tradition. As a Catholic, Christian school that welcomes students and educators from all faiths, we look to the life and witness of Jesus as the revelation of God and our model for humanity. Through our education and curricular and co-curricular programs, we seek to foster knowledge and love of God and neighbor, and welcome the gifts that non-Catholic members of our community contribute to that mission. De La Salle Institute’s Core Values include: Faith, Service, Community, Social Justice, Academic Excellence and Respect.

Incoming freshmen may apply for the Faith and Service Scholarship, a $2,000 scholarship that will be awarded to up to five qualifying incoming freshmen. To be considered, applicants must:

  • Take the Entrance Exam at De La Salle Institute in December 2023
  • Be admitted to De La Salle Institute as a member of the Class of 2028
  • Have a demonstrated commitment to faith and service through involvement in a faith-based activity

To be considered, applicants must submit 250 word responses to each of the following questions:

  1. Why is your faith important to you?
  2. What role does service play in your life?
  3. Were you to be granted this award, how would you support De La Salle Institute’s Core Values of Faith, Service, Community, Social Justice, Academic Excellence and Respect as a member of this community?

Application deadline is January 31, 2024.

The application for the Faith and Service Scholarship is available here.

Finalists will interview with the scholarship selection committee in early February before awards are made.

This $2,000 award can be renewed for a student’s sophomore, junior and senior years as long as a 3.0 GPA is maintained. Inaugural recipients of the Faith and Service Scholarship will become part of a cohort of students supporting the school’s campus and peer ministry programs and other extracurricular programs.

The Community Award

De La Salle Institute was founded in 1889 in the Bronzeville neighborhood of Chicago. From its origins, the school was notably diverse, with two of the first nine students Jewish members of our Catholic, Lasallian school. Starting as a vocational school serving the children whose parents worked in the neighboring stockyards, the school drew students from its immediate vicinity.  Today, as a four-year college preparatory high school, De La Salle Institute educates students from 80 zip codes and two states.

The Community Award is a $1,000 scholarship awarded to incoming freshmen who originate from the neighboring community whom the school has served since its origin. To qualify, students must: 

  • Take the Entrance Exam at De La Salle Institute in December 2023.
  • Be admitted to De La Salle Institute as an incoming freshman, Class of 2028
  • Be a permanent resident of one of the following neighboring zip codes at the point of admission and during your studies at De La Salle Institute: 60605, 60607, 60608, 60609, 60616, 60653

This $1,000 award can be renewed for a student’s sophomore, junior and senior years as long as a 2.5 GPA is maintained.

Lasallian Education Award

Saint John Baptist de La Salle, the patron saint of teachers, founded his schools to educate students who would otherwise not have access to a private, Catholic education. His inspiration in responding to a need in his community has today grown into a worldwide network of schools inspired by the Christian Brothers of France. The central tenets of Lasallian education include Leadership, Scholarship, Faith, Service and Community. The Lasallian Education Award is a $5,000 renewable scholarship for students in Lasallian schools matriculating to De La Salle Institute, notably San Miguel School, a Christian Brothers Middle School in the Back of the Yards Community of Chicago. 

To qualify, students must: 

  • Attend a Christian Brothers grammar school
  • Take the Entrance Exam at De La Salle Institute in December 2023
  • Be admitted to De La Salle Institute as an incoming freshman, Class of 2028

To be considered, applicants must submit 300 word responses to each of the following questions:

  1. How has your Christian Brothers education supported you?
  2. Why do you seek to continue your education in a Lasallian school?

Application deadline is January 31, 2024.

The application is available here.

This $5,000 award can be renewed for a student’s sophomore, junior and senior years as long as a 3.0 GPA is maintained.

The Anchor Award

Catholic schools have educated and formed generations of people as a means to prepare youth for lives of service and success. De La Salle Institute, an anchor in Chicago, has graduated over 20,000 alumni since the school’s founding in 1889. As anchors in communities, students and graduates of Catholic schools are academically and morally prepared to be agents of hope in the world. Expected graduates of Catholic grade schools who have persevered and demonstrated consistent dedication to his/her studies and service to his/her parish school and community are eligible for the $1,000 Anchor Award, renewable for a student’s sophomore, junior and senior years as long as a 2.5 GPA is maintained. 

Incoming freshmen may apply for the Anchor Award, a $1,000 scholarship that will be awarded to up to 25 incoming freshmen matriculating from a Catholic grade school. To be considered, applicants must:

  • Take the Entrance Exam at De La Salle Institute in December 2023
  • Be admitted to De La Salle Institute as a member of the Class of 2028
  • Have persevered and demonstrated dedication to his/her studies and service to his/her parish school and community

To be considered, applicants must submit 250 word responses to each of the following questions:

  1.  Why do you seek to continue your studies in a Catholic school?
  2. How have you served your parish school and community?
  3. How have you persevered and demonstrated dedication to your studies and service to your parish school and community?

Application deadline is January 31, 2024. Applications are available here.

Academic Excellence

Presidential Scholarship

Students who take the entrance exam at De La Salle Institute on Saturday, December 2, 2023 are eligible for academic scholarships (Presidential Scholarships) based upon their entrance exam score. The chart below provides the levels of the Presidential Scholarships based on the National Percentile Score.

National Percentile Score Scholarship
99+ $40,000 ($10,000 Annually)
96-98 $32,000 ($8,000 Annually)
90-95 $24,000 ($6,000 Annually)
85-89 $20,000 ($5,000 Annually)
76-84 $12,000 ($3,000 Annually)

This award is renewable annually as long as the student maintains a 3.5 GPA.

Honors Scholarship

The Honors Scholarship is for incoming freshmen students who do not meet the requirements for a Presidential Scholarship, but are placed into the Honors Program based on their academic performance. This $3,000 scholarship is renewable annually provided the student maintains a 3.5 cumulative grade point average (GPA) and remains a student in good standing in both the Honors Program and as a member of the De La Salle student community.

The High School of Choice for Generations of Chicago Families

Legacy Award

You will often hear the word “family” to describe the community of De La Salle Institute. It is no surprise that our school of profound welcome where students are known, valued and supported has been the school of choice for generations of families. Continuing this family tradition, a $1,000 grant will be awarded to students whose parent, grandparent or great-grandparent graduated from De La Salle Institute or Lourdes High School. This grant is renewable for students who remain in good standing. Please note, only one legacy grant is awarded per family.

Multiple Student Discount

In support of our family environment, $1,000 will be awarded to families with at least two De La Salle students enrolled concurrently. Additionally, families may be considered for the Heerey Scholarship, a donor-funded award averaging $3,500 annually for families with at least two students enrolled concurrently.

Our Scholarship Partners

We work closely with numerous scholarship organizations. Please note, many of these scholarships have deadlines during the Fall of your student’s 8th grade year. Scholarships from our partners can range from $1,000 to $9,000 per year. Please check their websites for more information so you don’t miss out.

Please contact The De La Salle Financial Aid Office at financialaid@dls.org  with questions regarding scholarships and tuition assistance.