Columbia Central

Austin Strelau Memorial Scholarship

for continuing undergraduate students

The Austin Strelau Memorial Scholarship was established to assist in defraying tuition costs for students majoring in Audio Arts, Sound Design, and Music Technology who show passion for their field of study and demonstrate financial need.

Deadline to Apply: February 01, 2025

• 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 Austin Strelau Memorial Scholarship application. There are four parts to the application:

  PART 1: CREATIVE SAMPLES

  Provide an example of a live sound reinforcement or installation project you’ve participated in.

  Please upload a recording, video, or other documentation of your sample in .doc, .docx, .pdf, .mp3, .mov, .wmv, or.mp4 format. External video links may be submitted in a .pdf, .doc, or .docx document. Note: Upload size limit is 50MB. 

  PART 2: ESSAY

  In a one- to two-page essay, describe your creative sample. Identify and discuss your role in the project and key challenges you faced.

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

  PART 3: 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 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 the 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 2025-26 financial aid application (FAFSA) by February 1, 2025.

   

  Access online applications through Internal Scholarships.

• About Austin Strelau

  Austin Strelau was a passionate Columbia College Chicago student who studied Live and Installed Sound and passed away in 2016. The Austin Strelau Memorial Scholarship was established by Austin's family to aid Columbia students who demonstrate a similar passion for their work in the Audio Arts and Acoustics Department.

• Scholarship Terms
  • Application must be submitted by February 1, 2025 (11:59 pm) for review by the committee
  • Amount for this one-year scholarship is up to $2,500, 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
  • Students must maintain full-time, undergraduate enrollment during the 2025-26 academic year
  • Recipients who graduate in Fall 2025 may receive the full scholarship amount in Fall 2025
  • Recipients must have submitted all outstanding documents to Columbia Central before the scholarship can be disbursed. Students can review missing documents in the 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 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

IMPORTANT DATES

More Dates