Paul Berger Graduate Fellowship

The Paul Berger Graduate Fellowship 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 Paul Berger Graduate Fellowship application - there are three parts to the application:

Submit a copy of your current resume.

Submit a two- to four-page essay that includes your background, goals and plans, and accomplishments that show commitment to your chosen concentration.

One letter of recommendation is required from an Arts Management department faculty member.

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.

Access online application form through OASIS portal:

1. Applicant Portal: You may scroll through the list of scholarship programs until you locate the Paul Berger Graduate Fellowship, 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 Paul Berger Graduate Fellowship 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.

The Paul Berger Entrepreneurship Graduate Fellowship honors the memory of an outstanding citizen, community leader, entrepreneur, public servant, and Columbia College Chicago professor.

Following service in World War II as a decorated combat infantryman, Paul finished his education at the University of Chicago and became a life-long resident of Hyde Park. Long before it became politically popular, Paul saw the need in the community for a financial institution that would provide banking service on a completely non-discriminatory basis. Acting on that need, he became a founder and the Chief Executive Officer of Hyde Park Savings and Loan, one of the first banking institutions in Chicago to provide loans and other financial services without any regard to race, creed, or ethnic background. Under Paul's leadership, Hyde Park Savings and Loan mentored a number of young people who have since become executives in major Chicago banks.

During and after his tenure with Hyde Park Savings and Loan, Paul became a valued member of a number of civic commissions and non-profit boards. He capped this service by becoming the City of Chicago Director of Revenue during the Harold Washington Mayoralty. Following that service, Paul Berger joined the Columbia College Chicago faculty where he founded the Small Business/Entrepreneurship section of the Arts, Entertainment and Media Management Department. In recognition of his services for to the College he was posthumously awarded the Columbia Presidential Medal for Outstanding Service. Throughout his career, Paul Berger earned the reputation as an individual who, without personal fanfare, worked quietly and effectively to bring people of all backgrounds together to work towards common goals.

At Columbia College, Paul Berger established the small business/entrepreneurship concentration. In the spirit of Paul Berger's life, the Fellowship is dedicated to assist Columbia College Chicago students further their education so that they too will become responsible entrepreneurial leaders in their careers and communities.

• Application must be submitted by February 01, 2013 (11:59 pm) for review by the committee
• Maximum award is $20,000, awarded half in Fall 2013 and half in Spring 2014
• Recipients who graduate in Fall 2013 will receive a one-semester award up to $10,000
• The award is applied toward tuition and fees
• Applicants must be enrolled as full-time Arts Management graduate students at the time of application and recipients must maintain full-time enrollment in the Arts Management program during the 2013-14 academic year
• 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 during the semester spent abroad
• 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