Grant W. Brissman & Virginia M. Brissman Foundation Scholarship

In 2020, the Grant W. Brissman & Virginia M. Brissman Foundation established an endowment in the SCC Foundation in honor of Grant W. Brissman & Virginia M. Brissman. The donors hope to support educational opportunities that will lead to good careers that enable Milan residents to live and thrive in Milan, Illinois. The annual earnings from this endowment are to be used to provide scholarships to students from the Village of Milan, Illinois.

Grant Brissman was a graduate of Rock Island High School and the former Brown’s Business College. He was a pioneer Milan business owner, starting Brissman’s Auto Supply in 1948. The business served Milan and the surrounding communities for almost 30 years before he retired in 1978. He was also a founding director and shareholder of Blackhawk State Bank in Milan, where he served on the board of directors for many years.

Virginia Brissman worked for Illinois Bell Telephone Company for 40 years before retiring in 1977. They had been married for 60 years when Grant died at age 88 in 2004. Virginia died at the age of 94. The foundation was established through their estates and the Community Foundation provides administrative and grant-making services for the Brissman Foundation.

As long-term residents of Milan, Illinois, the Brissman’s wanted to make sure their legacy continued to benefit their chosen home long after they passed away. The mission of this foundation is to improve the quality of life in the Village of Milan, Illinois by funding work to enhance youth development, foster community development, support cultural activities, and invest in ways to relieve the suffering of underprivileged people.

Preference will be given to students who meet the following criteria:

• Current student taking credit courses or non-degree certificate programs with preference given to Career and Technical Education programs
• Resident of Milan, Illinois (Zip Code: 61201 & 61264)

Scholarship Use
This scholarship is awarded for the Fall 2025 semester.
Scholarship awards will be applied to your tuition, books, and fees first. For more information on how to use your remaining scholarship dollars, please reach out to the SCC Foundation. Any rollover dollars must be used by the end of the Spring 2026 semester. SCC Foundation scholarships are non-transferable.