Adrian Alan - 2024 Scholarship winner

About ICCA Scholarship Program

The Illinois Cheerleading Coaches Association (ICCA) will be awarding $25,000 in scholarships for the 2024-2025 cheerleading season.  There will be a guaranteed minimum of $1000 for each finalist.

Congratulations to the 2025 Scholarship Finalists:

Sophie Breitwiser - Waterloo High School

Kate Christensen - Pontiac High School

Kenya Cooley - Carl Sandburg High School

Makenzie Emerick - Vandalia High School

Kaylen Hansen - Wilmington High School

Kirklyn Kay - Benton High School

Briley Keach - Flora High School

Maria Long - Pontiac High School

Claire Stanforth - Rockridge High School

Brianna Viviano - Triad High School

Interviews will be conducted on Friday, January 10th and awarding of the scholarships will be Saturday, January 11th after the completion of the competition.

ICCA provides scholarships to senior cheerleaders for continuing education at colleges and universities across the country. Scholarship winners are selected from seniors throughout the state of Illinois who excel in cheerleading as well as the classroom.  Seniors who apply need to be members of ICCA and compete at a minimum of one ICCA Invitational.  The finalists will be contacted to set up their interview time.  Below is a list of information needed when applying for a scholarship.  To apply for Scholarship, please go to the link below and complete online.

Scholarship Instructions

Scholarship Requirements

  • 1

    You must be a Senior on the winter cheer team at an ICCA member school.

  • 2

    You must complete the form online by November 30th to be considered for an ICCA Scholarship.

  • 3

    You need to contact the registrar at your school and have him or her send an official transcript that includes a non-weighted GPA and ACT/SAT score.  This should be in a sealed envelope and sent to the scholarship Director (address on the google form application).

  • 4

    You must have your coach fill out the coaches recommendation.  Form will be sent to the coach when application is complete with video, photo and transcript with SAT/ACT score.

  • 5

    You must have competed at a minimum of one ICCA Invitational.

  • 6

    You must submit a cheerleading skills video following the guidelines listed below.

  • 7

    You must (as a finalist) be at the interview (in person) on the evening of January 10, 2025.

  • 8

    You must provide Community Service information documentation if you, as the applicant, become a finalist.

  • 9

    You must (as a finalist) be in attendance at the Championship on January 11, 2025.

The video is required to be in the following order:

  • Sideline Crowd Leading Cheer (no stunts but must incorporate one jump and a tumbling skill)

  • Combination Jump (Demonstrate your best triple jump)

  • Tumbling (include ONE each of your best standing tumbling AND a running tumbling pass)

  • Stunt Sequence (Applicants for the stunt sequence may be the base, top or back spot but not the front spot. Two stunt MAX).

*Videos not submitted in the correct order listed above will not be considered for Scholarship.*

Cheerleading Skills Video 60 points

  • Applicants must be in uniform. 

  • All skills must be performed on a cheer mat (No spring floor).

  • Other cheerleaders seen in the video should be in practice clothing and only seen during the stunting section.

  • The video must be no more than 2 minutes and in the following order:  1)  Introduction 2) Cheer  3)  Jumps  4)  Tumbling  5)  Stunts

  • Voice (5 points)

    Articulation, volume, pacing

  • Motions (10 points) evaluated throughout the whole video

    Placement, execution, sharpness

  • Jumps (10 points)

    Flexibility, execution, form, height, landing

  • Tumbling (10 points)

    Difficulty, execution, technique

  • Stunts (10 points)

    Difficulty, execution, technique

  • Creativity, Originality, Overall Appeal (10 points)

    How your video stands out from others

  • Video follows order and guidelines (5 points)

Scholarship Application Opens July 1st

For questions about the Scholarship process, please email Scholarship Director Betty Moore at: iccabetty@gmail.com.  Scholarship deadline is November 30.

Award Recipients

2024 Recipients

ICCA AWARDED A TOTAL OF $17,000 IN SCHOLARSHIP MONEY DURING THE 2024 ICCA CHAMPIONSHIPS.

Scholarship-Finalists-scaled

THE TOP SCHOLARSHIP WINNER IS ADRIAN ALLEN WHO WILL BE RECEIVING A $5,000 SCHOLARSHIP TO THE UNIVERSITY OF HER CHOICE.

Adrian Allen – U-High
Elizabeth Bax – Carl Sandburg
Megan Beerheide – Buffalo Grove
Lexie Fears – Highland
Natalie Hall – Rockridge
Kenzie Keyser – U-High
Chloe Mcteer – Highland
Avery Pingsterhaus – Mater Dei
Holly Ricklefs – Jersey Community
Payton Semmens – Pontiac
Kayla Zacheis – Edwardsville

Past Recipients