Betty Garrett Musical Theatre Scholarship

The Betty Garrett Musical Theatre 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 Betty Garrett Musical Theatre Scholarship application - there are two parts to the application:

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

• Briefly describe your educational and vocational goals.
• How has your classroom work supported your work on production?
• How has your production work supported your classroom work?
• Include any achievements you wish to be considered by the scholarship committee.

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.

Upload your resume.

Upload your headshot.

Two letters of recommendation are required from professional, academic, and/or personal references. Columbia College Chicago faculty and/or staff members in your area of concentration may provide letters of recommendation, excluding the Coordinators of the Musical Theatre Program.

Note: Remember to contact your recommender 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.

Access online application form through OASIS portal:

1. Applicant Portal: You may scroll through the list of scholarship programs until you locate the Betty Garrett Musical Theatre 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 Betty Garrett Musical Theatre 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.

In a distinguished career spanning 60 years, Betty Garrett starred in classic Broadway and Hollywood musicals as well as numerous regional theatre productions and TV shows. Her Broadway credits include the original production of Bells Are Ringing, in which she costarred with her husband, Oscar-nominated actor Larry Parks; the Cole Porter musical Something for the Boys, in which she co-starred with Ethel Merman; the Harold Rome revue Call Me Mister; the 1989 stage version of Meet Me in St. Louis; and the 2003 Roundabout Theatre Company revival of Stephen Sondheim's Follies. Her screen credits include On the Town, costarring and co-directed by Gene Kelly, in which she seductively (and comically) lured co-star Frank Sinatra to "Come Up to My Place"; Words and Music, with Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland; Take Me Out to the Ball Game, directed by Busby Berkeley and co-starring Frank Sinatra, Esther Williams, and Gene Kelly; Neptune's Daughter, in which she introduced the Oscar-winning song "Baby, It's Cold Outside," with co-star Red Skelton; and My Sister Eileen, in which she co-starred with Jack Lemmon, Janet Leigh, and Bob Fosse (who also choreographed). On TV, she had recurring roles in All in the Family and Laverne & Shirley and guest-starred on such series as The Fugitive, Murder, She Wrote, Becker, Boston Public, and Grey's Anatomy. She received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2003. In addition to her work as a performer, Betty -- inspired by her own youthful work with such teachers as Martha Graham, Sanford Meisner, Lehman Engel, and Margaret Webster -- was a dedicated teacher devoted to nurturing young talent. The Betty Garrett Musical Theatre Scholarship was established when Ms. Garrett appeared at the Getz Theater of Columbia College Chicago in 1998 with an evening of reminiscences about her life and career.

• Application must be submitted by February 01, 2013 (11:59 pm) for review by the committee
• Maximum amount of this one-year award is $2000, awarded half in Fall 2013 and half in Spring 2014
• Recipients who graduate in Fall 2013 will receive a one-semester award up to $1000
• The award is applied toward tuition and fee 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 be used toward a study abroad program through one of Columbia's student exchange programs. Please note: Recipients who enroll in an independent study abroad program will forfeit their scholarship during the semester spent abroad
• Recipients will be asked to submit a short biography describing their background and life goals that will be shared with the donors; portions of the essay may also be used for publication
• The rules and regulations governing other sources of financial aid (federal, state, institutional and other grants, gifts, or loans) will apply
• Columbia College Chicago reserves the right to withhold the award in any year in which, at the sole discretion of the scholarship committee, suitable candidates cannot be found amount applicants