Alumni Scholarship

The Alumni Scholarship application is available online through your OASIS portal. Only complete scholarship applications submitted by the deadline will be reviewed by the scholarship committee.

Please follow all directions carefully. Students must submit the following materials to make a complete Alumni Scholarship application - there are four parts to the application:

PART 1: ESSAY

In a three- to five-page essay, please address the following:

1. How has your passion for your field brought you to Columbia College?
2. How have you been able to integrate your passion into a meaningful project, and what have you learned from your project?
3. How will you use your passion/skills to impact your community and the outside world?

Your essay must be double-spaced and must include your name and OASIS ID number in the upper right-hand corner of the page. Please upload your response in .pdf, .doc, or .docx format.


PART 2: OPTIONAL CREATIVE SAMPLE

You may submit an optional creative sample to be considered by the review committee in support of your application. You must submit your sample in one of the following formats:

• Images: .jpg, .png, .gif
• Video: .mov, .wmv, .flv
• Audio: .mp3
• Documents: .pdf

Please Note: Upload size limit is 50MB.


PART 3: LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION

Two letters of recommendation are required. The letters should be from people who are best qualified to comment on your academic achievements and community engagement. Examples of people to use as recommenders are: instructors, peers, advisors, internship contacts, and professional and/or community leaders from an organization for which you have volunteered.

For your convenience, the online application system will send an e-mail notification directly to the person you've chosen to complete your recommendation. This person will be invited to complete the recommendation online with ease and will not need to mail, fax, or e-mail their recommendation. Please be prepared with the e-mail address of the person making the recommendation.

Note: Remember to contact your recommenders directly before providing his/her information on the application. Be sure to give recommenders as much time as possible to write the letters. Requests made at the last minute are often difficult to fulfill by the deadline.

PART 4: STUDENT AID REPORT

A current Student Aid Report (SAR) must be on file. To receive an SAR, students must complete a financial aid application (FAFSA), available after January 1st of each year.

Access online application form through OASIS portal:

Online applications are available through your OASIS portal. Login to your portal and select the Scholarships tab at the top of the screen. Follow the link Apply Now for Columbia Scholarships to your Applicant Portal landing page.

There are two ways to locate the Alumni Scholarship application:

1. Applicant Portal: You may scroll through the list of scholarship programs until you locate the Alumni Scholarship, and then select the "Start Application" link.


2. Scholarship Search: Select the "Search Scholarships" link in the navigation on the left-hand side of the page. You may search for the Alumni Scholarship by using category, keyword, or description/name search. Once you locate the program, select the "More Info" link to be taken to the application form.

• Application must be submitted by January 15, 2013 (11:59 pm) for review by the committee
• Awards range from $1500 to $3000 for the academic year, awarded half in Fall and half in Spring
• Recipients who graduate in Fall 2013 will receive a one-semester award, from $750 up to $1500
• The award is applied toward tuition costs
• Students must be enrolled at full-time status at the time of application and must maintain full-time enrollment during the 2013-14 academic year
• Students who are not selected to receive the award may compete in subsequent years provided they continue to meet eligibility requirements, but no student may receive the award more than once
• Scholarship may not be used toward independent study abroad programs. Please note: Recipients who enroll in an independent study abroad program will forfeit their scholarship for the semester spent abroad
• Recipients must complete a 500-word essay addressing how the Alumni Scholarship made a difference in their life; portions of the essay may be used in future Alumni Scholarship materials; students should submit their essay to the office of Alumni Relations by March 31, 2014
• The rules and regulations governing other sources of financial aid (federal, state, institutional and other grants, gifts, or loans) will apply