Freshman Achievement Award

The Freshman Achievement Award 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 Freshman Achievement Award application - there are three 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.

Two letters of recommendation are required from professional, academic, and/or personal references, excluding Columbia College Chicago faculty and/or staff members in your area of concentration.

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

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:

1. Applicant Portal: You may scroll through the list of scholarship programs until you locate the Freshman Achievement Award, 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 Freshman Achievement Award 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.

• Go to OASIS portal

• Application must be submitted by February 15, 2012 (11:59 pm) for review by the committee
• Maximum amount of this one-semester award is $1,500, awarded in Fall 2012
• The award is applied toward tuition costs
• Students must be enrolled as full-time students at the time of application and must maintain full-time enrollment during the Fall 2012 semester
• Scholarship may not be used toward independent study abroad programs
• Recipients will be asked to submit a short biography describing their background and life goals, which will be shared with 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 among applicants