Max Wenzel Scholarship to Provide $11,161.41 Each to 30 Forreston Graduates

Seven recipients attending partner universities will receive free first-year tuition

FORRESTON, Ill., October 28, 2026 — Forrestville Valley School District #221 is pleased to announce that 30 Forreston High School graduates from the Class of 2026 are eligible to receive the Max Wenzel Scholarship, with each student receiving $11,161.41 for college expenses. As November 1 approaches, the district is celebrating this significant investment in its graduates and their futures.

Made possible through the generosity of Mr. Max Wenzel and the Max Wenzel Education Trust, the scholarship makes higher education more accessible to Forreston families and provides students with greater opportunities to pursue their goals.

Seven of this year’s 30 recipients are attending District Partner Universities, where district partnerships guarantee free tuition for the first year of attendance. The seven partner universities are:

• Eastern Illinois University

• Illinois State University

• Northern Illinois University

• Southern Illinois University Carbondale

• Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

• University of Illinois Springfield

• Western Illinois University

The Wenzel Scholarship is available to every Forreston graduate who enrolls within six months of graduation in a college or university program leading to an associate or bachelor’s degree. Eligibility is not limited to students attending partner universities; graduates may attend the college or university of their choice.  Checks will be distributed as early as November 1st directly to the college or university.

Equity and opportunity are at the heart of Mr. Wenzel’s gift. By providing equal scholarship allocations to eligible graduates, the trust helps reduce financial barriers and gives students meaningful support as they begin their college education.

The district’s students, families, staff, Board of Education, and Forrestville Valley Education Foundation express their deepest gratitude to Mr. Wenzel for his extraordinary generosity and belief in Forreston students. His legacy will continue through the education graduates pursue, the opportunities they embrace, and the contributions they make to their communities.

Forrestville Valley School District congratulates the Class of 2026 scholarship recipients and celebrates the lasting opportunities made possible by Mr. Wenzel’s gift.  The district will be hosting a College and Career Fair next Wednesday, November 4th.  Parents are encouraged to attend with their students to learn more about our university partnerships and how the Wenzel Scholarship can be applied to the graduating classes of 2027 and 2028.