Columbia Central

Diversity and Inclusion Award

for continuing undergraduate and graduate students

The Diversity and Inclusion Award was established to encourage students to focus on the importance of diversity in higher education and in their experience at Columbia College Chicago specifically, while preparing them for life in a global society.

Deadline to Apply: February 01, 2026

• How to Apply

  Visit Internal Scholarships and click on APPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIPS to access the College-Wide Undergraduate or College-Wide Graduate Scholarship Application. 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 Diversity and Inclusion Award application. There are three parts to the application:

  
  PART 1: ESSAY

  In a 3-5 page essay please reflect on the following:

  1. Personal Experience: Share your own experiences with diversity, equity, and inclusion. How have these experiences shaped your understanding of who you are, what fairness means to you, and how you engage with others in your community or learning environment.
  2. Vision for the Future: Looking ahead, what do you envision for the future of equality and social justice over the next decade? Consider how technology, education, policy, or cultural change might influence this future. Where do you think we are now and where do you hope we are going?
  3. The Role of this Scholarship: Finally, reflect on what receiving this scholarship would mean to you personally. How would it support your goals, amplify your voice, or empower you to contribute to a more inclusive and equitable future?

  Your essay must be double-spaced, and include your name and Columbia ID number in the upper right-hand corner of each page. Please upload your response in .pdf, .doc, or .docx format. 
  
  PART 2: LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION
  

  One letter of recommendation is required from a Columbia faculty member who is familiar with your academic achievement or accomplishment in your major.
  
  For your convenience, the online application will send an email notification directly to the person you've chosen to complete your recommendation. Please be prepared with the email address of your recommender.

  Note: Remember to contact your recommender directly before providing their information on the application. Since this application is part of the larger College-Wide Undergraduate and Graduate Scholarship applications, also note the specific scholarship(s) for which they will be recommending you. 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 3: FAFSA SUBMISSION SUMMARY

  A current FAFSA Submission Summary must be on file. To receive a FAFSA Submission Summary, students must complete a 2026-27 financial aid application (FAFSA) by February 1, 2026.
  
  

  Access online applications through Internal Scholarships.

• Award Terms
  • Application must be submitted by February 1, 2026 (11:59 pm) for review by the committee
  • Amount of this one-year award is up to $4,000, awarded half in Fall and half in Spring
  • Award is applied toward tuition only
  • Students' scholarships that are applied toward tuition may not exceed the amount of their tuition costs
  • Recipients must maintain full-time, undergraduate/graduate enrollment during the 2026-27 academic year
  • Graduate students enrolled in a 0 credit hour thesis contiuance course are not eligible to receive award
  • Recipients who graduate in Fall 2026 may receive the full award amount in Fall 2026
  • Recipients must have submitted all outstanding documents to Columbia Central before the award can be disbursed. Students can review missing documents in the MyColumbia portal under Missing Documents
  • Award may be used toward a study abroad program through one of Columbia's student exchange programs, excluding Summer sessions. Please note: Recipients who enroll in an independent study abroad program will forfeit their award during the semester spent abroad
  • 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

IMPORTANT DATES

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