La Salle County Regional Superintendent of Schools Christopher B. Dvorak has announced that applications for the Joseph J. Hohner Scholarship for the 2026-2027 school year are now available.

Applications must be completed and submitted to the Regional Office by 4 p.m. on April 16. Applications are available at roe35.org.

The scholarship was established through a trust fund left by Ottawa physician Joseph J. Hohner, who died in 1972. More than $2.3 million has been distributed since the fund’s creation.

The scholarship is available exclusively to students who graduate from Ottawa schools and pursue further academic or vocational education. Awards can be used for parochial elementary and secondary school tuition, trade school, bachelor’s degrees or doctorates. Most scholarships are awarded to college students.

Individual awards have ranged from $100 to $3,000, distributed in two payments during the school year.

“Ottawa is truly unique in having such a scholarship program specifically and exclusively for its own students who pursue further academic or vocational goals,” Dvorak said.

Because the scholarship is awarded annually, applicants must complete and submit the entire application each year, even if they have previously received an award.

The Scholarship Committee will evaluate applications in May, with award notifications announced in June.

The Joseph J. Hohner Scholarship Committee encourages past recipients to contribute to the fund after graduation and employment. Checks can be made out to Joseph J. Hohner Scholarship and mailed to the La Salle County Regional Office of Education, 119 W. Madison St., Room 102, Ottawa, IL 61350.