Columbia College Chicago Expands Scholarships for All Students Enrolling in Fall 2019

Photo: Phil Dembinski '08
New opportunities for Chicago Public School (CPS) and Arts Schools Network (ASN) graduating seniors.

CHICAGO--October 25, 2018. Columbia College Chicago will be offering more financial assistance through scholarships to all incoming students enrolling in the Fall 2019 semester, and offering two new scholarships, the Columbia CPS Award and the Columbia Creatives Award to Chicago Public Schools (CPS) and Arts Schools Network (ASN) seniors.

More merit and need-based scholarship money will be available to all admitted students who have submitted the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Overall, institutional aid at Columbia has increased by 50 percent and in 2019, Columbia expects to award the largest dollar amount toward student financial aid in its history.

“Columbia College Chicago is a premier institution for students looking to pursue their creative endeavors,” said Michael Joseph, vice president for enrollment management. “Increasing financial aid is an investment in students—one that makes higher education more accessible to students from all backgrounds, while also paving an easier pathway towards graduation and long-term success.”

Columbia will be growing its already innovative and creative student community by offering guaranteed, renewable merit-based scholarships for graduating CPS and ASN seniors who have earned a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher.

The Columbia CPS Award and the Columbia Creatives Award reaffirms long-standing partnerships and commitments with CPS and creatively-focused secondary schools across the country. These scholarships also help Columbia continue to attract a diverse student body, providing for a well-rounded college experience.

All eligible CPS students will receive scholarships ranging from $11,000 to $12,500 per student. CPS students attending a creatively-focused high school are eligible to receive higher awards ranging from $13,500 to $15,000.

The creatively-focused CPS high schools include the Chicago High School for the Arts, Walter H. Dyett High School for the Arts, Nicholas Senn High School, Marie Sklodowska Curie Metropolitan High School, Lane Tech College Prep High School, and Westinghouse College Prep High School.

The Columbia Creatives Award ranges from $13,500 to $15,000 per student and is available to any graduating senior attending an ASN affiliated high school. There are more than 100 ASN affiliated schools across the country.

Specific award amounts for the Columbia CPS Award and Columbia Creatives Award are determined based on the individual student’s GPA at the time of admission to Columbia. No separate application is required to be considered for Columbia’s merit scholarship programs, including the Columbia CPS Award and the Columbia Creatives Award. Eligible students only need to be admitted to Columbia and provide transcripts from their high school to demonstrate their eligibility for these awards.

In addition to offering merit scholarships to all qualifying admitted students, Columbia also offers generous need-based scholarships of up to $6,000. To be considered for a need-based scholarship, students must submit the 2019-20 FAFSA with the Columbia school code (001665).

Columbia is currently accepting applications for the Spring 2019 and Fall 2019 semesters.

###

About Columbia College Chicago
Columbia College Chicago is a private, nonprofit college offering a distinctive curriculum that blends creative and media arts, liberal arts, and business for nearly 7,000 students in more than 100 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Dedicated to academic excellence and long-term career success, Columbia College Chicago creates a dynamic, challenging, and collaborative space for students who experience the world through a creative lens. For more information, visit colum.edu.