Columbia Central

Elizabeth Frances Calabrese Memorial Scholarship

for continuing undergraduate students

The Elizabeth Frances Calabrese Memorial Scholarship was established to assist in defraying tuition costs for deserving students studying within Columbia College Chicago's Communication department, and deserving students with disabilities in any Communication department program.

Extended Deadline to Apply: March 01, 2024

• How to Apply

  Visit Internal Scholarships and click on APPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIPS to access the College-Wide Undergraduate 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 Elizabeth Frances Calabrese Memorial Scholarship application. There are five parts to the application (Part 4 is OPTIONAL):
  
  

  PART 1: ESSAY

  In a 500-word essay, describe why you are passionate about your discipline, who or what influenced your choice, and what your career goals are.

  Your essay must be double-spaced and must include your name and MyColumbia ID number in the upper right-hand corner of the page. Please upload your response in .pdf, .doc, or .docx format.
  
  

  PART 2: RESUME

  Provide a resume that includes your work history, extracurricular activities, and completed internships.

  Your resume must include your name and MyColumbia ID number in the upper right-hand corner of the page. Please upload your response in .pdf, .doc, or .docx format.
  
  

  PART 3: REFERENCE

  Provide the name and email address of one faculty member who is familiar with your academic achievement or accomplishment in your major.
  

   

  OPTIONAL - PART 4: DISABILITY STATEMENT
  

  Briefly describe your disability and provide ONE of the following:

  1. Your consent for the scholarship committee to confirm your registered documentation with the Services for Students with Disabilities office;
  2. Medical documentation submitted to scholarships@colum.edu confirming your disability;
  3. If you do not have documentation or access to it, a  written statement about your disability submitted to scholarships@colum.edu.
     
     

  PART 5: FAFSA SUBMISSION SUMMARY
  
  

  A current FAFSA Submission Summary must be on file. To receive a FAFSA Submission Summary, students must complete the relevant year's financial aid application (FAFSA) by the scholarship application deadline.

   

  Access online applications through Internal Scholarships.

  
  

   

• About Elizabeth Frances Calabrese

  

  In celebration of 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and to honor the memory of his mother who passed away in 2019, longtime adjunct faculty member Dominic Calabrese established The Elizabeth Frances Calabrese Memorial Scholarship.

  Reflecting on his mother's life, Calabrese said, "As a child of the Great Depression, my mom never had a chance to attend college. I thought a fitting way to honor her memory would be to establish these awards in her name."

  Elizabeth Calabrese believed in giving. She donated generously to The Chicago Lighthouse, where Dominic served as the Senior Vice President of Public Relations for over 15 years. Through both scholarships, her legacy of helping those in need will continue.

  "When our lives draw to a close and we look back," said Calabrese, "there is enormous satisfaction in knowing that you gave of yourself to help others and honored your loved ones in a special way."

  Dom Calabrese

• Scholarship Terms
  • Application must be submitted by the deadline for review by the committee
  • Scholarship amount is up to $5,000
  • Scholarship is applied toward tuition only
  • Students’ scholarships that are applied toward tuition may not exceed the amount of their tuition costs
  • If deemed safe by the college regarding COVID-19 guidelines, recipients may be asked to attend a luncheon at the Publicity Club of Chicago. Recipients will be notified of the date once Columbia confirms that the luncheon will be held.
  • Recipients of the 2024-25 scholarship must maintain full-time, undergraduate enrollment during the 2024-25 academic year
  • Recipients must have submitted all outstanding documents to Columbia Central before the scholarship can be disbursed. Review your missing documents on your MyColumbia portal under MyFinancials
  • Scholarship 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 scholarship 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 reserves the right to withhold the scholarship in any year in which, at the sole discretion of the scholarship committee, suitable candidates cannot be found among applicants

IMPORTANT DATES

• 12:00AM - 11:55PM 2024-25 Degree Completion Assistance Grant Application Deadline
  The Degree Completion Assistance Grant provides financial support to juniors and seniors who are nearing graduation, and who can demonstrate that receiving assistance from the grant will help them in achieving their academic goals. Preference is given to seniors who demonstrate significant financial need. The deadline to apply is May 17, 2024 (11:59pm). Now is the...Get the details

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