Chicagoland Transfer Award

Calling all Chicago-area community college students! 

Columbia College Chicago is offering one full-tuition scholarship and 10 scholarships of $12,000 to eligible Chicago-area community college students who transfer to Columbia for the Fall 2019 semester. Each award is renewable annually. 

Students who have earned a minimum of 45 college-level credit hours with a 3.0 cumulative GPA and were enrolled at an eligible community college in the Spring or Summer term prior to the Fall semester in which they will begin courses at Columbia are eligible.

The Chicagoland Transfer Scholarship applications close on April 1, 2021.

To be eligible for the Chicagoland Transfer Award:

  • You must be admitted to Columbia College Chicago for the Fall 2021 semester. (Need to start your application? You can apply here!) 
  • You must have earned minimum of 45 college-level credit hours with a 3.0 cumulative GPA or greater, as demonstrated by official college transcripts.
  • You must have been enrolled at one of the following community colleges during the Spring or Summer term before your Fall semester start date:
    • Arrupe College of Loyola University Chicago
    • College of DuPage
    • Elgin Community College
    • College of Lake County
    • Harold Washington College
    • Harry S. Truman College
    • Joliet Junior College
    • Kennedy-King College
    • Malcolm X College
    • McHenry County College
    • Moraine Valley Community College
    • Morton College
    • Oakton Community College
    • Olive-Harvey College
    • Prairie State College
    • Richard J. Daley College
    • South Suburban College
    • Triton College
    • Waubonsee Community College
    • Wilbur Wright College
    • William Rainey Harper College
  • You must complete the scholarship essay through your Columbia admission portal

Application Process

Scholarship applications will be reviewed by a committee and will be scored based on the student's academic achievement and the quality of the essay. The scholarship application process must be completed by April 1, 2021.

To apply:

  • Complete an application for admission as a transfer student.
  • Provide official college transcripts through the admissions process. The transcripts must demonstrate that the student meets all eligibility requirements.
  • Complete the Chicagoland Transfer Award application in the Columbia Admissions portal. The scholarship application requires an essay of no more than 1,000 words that answers the questions: How has your experience at your community college prepared you for success at Columbia? How do you plan to make the most of your Columbia education?

 View scholarship terms 

Questions? Email scholarships@colum.edu.

Additional Scholarship Considerations

Students who are already admitted to Columbia for the Fall 2021 term as transfer students are welcome to apply for this scholarship if all eligibility criteria are met at the time of the scholarship applications.

On average, in fall 2020, transfer students received an institutional scholarship of $9,760 from Columbia College Chicago. Transfer students also have access to additional aid, including the Phi Theta Kappa scholarship, Pell grants, and MAP grants

To be considered for all scholarship opportunities at Columbia, please submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the academic year in which you will attend Columbia. Include Columbia College Chicago school code: (001665).