Columbia Central

Chicagoland Transfer Award

For incoming transfer students

The Chicagoland Transfer Award was established to recognize transfer students from eligible Chicago area community colleges.

• How to Apply

  To be considered for the Chicagoland Transfer Award, please complete the Chicagoland Transfer Award application on your Columbia Connect page and provide official transcripts through the admission process.

  • The award application requires an essay of no more than 1,000 words that answers the following: 

    • We want to know more about your path to Columbia! Tell us the story of your decision to attend your community college and how your college experience(s) have impacted how you see yourself and/or the world. 

  • Official transcripts must be provided through the admission process and demonstrate:
    • A minimum of 30 graded college credit hours
    • A minimum 3.0 cumulative grade point average
    • Most recent enrollment at an eligible community college 
• Eligible Community Colleges

  Students whose most recent enrollment was at one of the following community colleges are eligible to apply for the Chicagoland Transfer Award:

  • Arrupe College of Loyola University Chicago
  • College of DuPage
  • College of Lake County
  • Elgin Community College
  • Harold Washington College
  • Harry S Truman College
  • Joliet Junior College
  • Kennedy-King College
  • Malcolm X College
  • McHenry County College
  • Moraine Valley Community College
  • Morton College
  • Oakton Community College
  • Olive-Harvey College
  • Prairie State College
  • Richard J Daley College
  • South Suburban College
  • Triton College
  • Waubonsee Community College
  • Wilbur Wright College
  • William Rainey Harper College
• How To Secure Your Scholarship

  To secure your scholarship for the Fall 2025 semester, please complete all of the following steps by the deadlines stated below:

  • By May 1, 2025:Confirm that you will be attending Columbia College Chicago by paying your $250 tuition deposit.
    
  • By July 1, 2025: Submit any missing documents that are required to secure your financial aid. To review if you have any missing documents, log into MyColumbia (my.colum.edu), click on MyFinancials, and click on Missing Documents after December 1, 2024. If you have any questions, we encourage you to contact Columbia Central by phone at 312-369-7140, or chat live with us at colum.edu/columbia-central.
  • By August 15, 2025: Register full-time for Fall 2025 courses. After you pay your $250 tuition deposit, you will receive information on completing course registration. Please note, your scholarship offer is valid only if you begin attendance in the Fall 2025 term.
  • Once you register, you will receive a bill that itemizes your tuition and fees. If any portion of your bill is not covered by secured financial aid or a secured third-party payment, you must either pay that amount in full or establish an automated payment plan by, or within seven days of registration if you register for classes after August 1. Payment plan information is available at colum.edu/paymentplan.
• Award Terms
  • The Chicagoland Transfer Award is renewable each year up to 120 attempted credit hours or four years, whichever is reached first. The total credit hours include all transferable college credit hours, Advanced Placement credit hours, CLEP credit hours, and credit hours earned at other college and universities under dual enrollment. For the award to be renewable, the recipient must:
    • be enrolled full-time each Fall and Spring semester
    • not interrupt enrollment
    • Meet the terms of Columbia's Satisfactory Academic Progress policy, including maintaining a minimum 2.0 cumulative grade point average and a 67% completion rate of all credits attempted.
  • The attempted credit hour and four-year limits are not based on degree completion, and the same limits apply to students pursuing double majors
  • $15,000 award: If recipients were awarded a Dean's Scholarship, Chicago STAR Scholarship, or Columbia Excellence Award, the Chicagoland Transfer Award will replace the previously offered award
  • Full-tuition award: The Chicagoland Transfer Award will replace all previously offered tuition scholarships
  • Students who interrupt their enrollment or enroll less than full-time will forfeit any remaining award funds
  • Award is applied toward tuition only
  • Funds are awarded during Fall and Spring semesters only
  • 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 not associated with Columbia College will forfeit their award during the semester spent abroad but will retain future eligibility if all other scholarship terms are met
  • Award is based on academic and financial need information provided to the college at the time of admission. Any subsequent, additional or clarifying data that significantly alters this information may make a recipient ineligible to receive this award
  • The rules governing other sources of financial aid (federal, state, institutional and other grants, gifts, or loans) will apply