Columbia Central

Al Parker Excellence in Radio Scholarship

For continuing undergraduate students

The Al Parker Excellence in Radio Scholarship was established to assist outstanding sophomore, junior, and senior Radio and Voiceover students in defraying tuition costs. This scholarship is awarded annually to students who have demonstrated considerable achievement in the department and have significant potential for future creative development in the broadcast arts.

Deadline to Apply: February 01, 2026

• 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.
  
  Students must submit the following materials to make a complete Al Parker Excellence in Radio Scholarship application. There are four parts to the application:

  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 Columbia ID number in the upper right-hand corner of the page. Please upload your response in .pdf, .doc, or .docx format.
  
  PART 2: CREATIVE SAMPLES

  Submit 1 to 10 creative samples of your work.

  • Audio samples should be one minute (0:60) or less and may include: an audition tape (or air check), audio scripts, produced public service announcements, promotional campaigns, or other audio work. Audio samples must be submitted in .mp3 format.
  • Written samples may include: sales/marketing plans, PSAs, commercials, editorials, features (news, sports, or personal essay), audio drama scripts, promotional campaigns, or other writing samples related to Radio. Writing samples must be well-organized, typed, double-spaced, not exceeding ten (10) pages, and be submitted in .doc, .docx or .pdf format.

  NOTE: Upload size limit is 50 MB.
  
  PART 3: LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION
  Two letters of recommendation are required from Columbia faculty members who are familiar with your academic achievement or accomplishments in your major.
  
  Remember to contact your recommenders directly before providing their information on the application. Since this application is part of the larger College-Wide Undergraduate Scholarship application, 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 letters. Requests made at the last minute are often difficult to fulfill by the deadline.

  PART 4: 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.

• About Al Parker

  The Al Parker Scholarship Fund was made possible through the generosity of the Parker family, their friends and colleagues. The late founder of the Columbia College Chicago Radio Department, Al Parker served as Chairman from 1946 to 1999. He was a guiding force in establishing WCRX , the college radio station, and taught several generations of students who have become successful members of the national broadcast community. Throughout the 70’s and 80’s, Al Parker was also the voice of Chicago’s ABC - Channel 7 and worked as a voice-over talent for numerous clients. In 1995 Al Parker was presented with the school’s highest honor, the prestigious President’s Medal. Al was dedicated to Columbia College and its students, and this scholarship fund represents a continuation of that dedication.

  

• Scholarship Terms
  • Application must be submitted by February 1, 2026 (11:59 pm)
  • Amount of this one-year scholarship is up to $6,000, awarded half in Fall and half in Spring
  • Scholarship 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 enrollment during the 2026-27 academic year
  • Recipients who graduate in Fall 2026 may receive the full scholarship amount in Fall 2026
  • Recipients must have submitted all outstanding documents to Columbia Central before the scholarship can be disbursed. Students can review missing documents in the MyColumbia Self Service Portal under Required Documents
  • 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 not associated with Columbia College 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 College Chicago 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

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