Columbia Central

Columbia CPS Award

for incoming students

Students who graduate from Chicago Public Schools with a GPA of 2.75 or higher and are admitted to Columbia College Chicago are guaranteed a renewable Columbia CPS Award.

• How to be Considered

  No separate application is required.

  • All incoming freshman who are admitted and will graduate from a Chicago Public School are automatically considered.
  • Awards are based on review of applicants' high school transcript and admissions application.
  • Students are strongly encouraged to submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) with the Columbia school code (001665) for additional scholarship consideration.
• How to Secure Your Scholarship

  To secure your scholarship for the Fall 2026 semester, please complete all of the following steps by the deadlines stated below:

  • By May 1, 2026: Confirm that you will be attending Columbia College Chicago by paying your $250 tuition deposit.
    
  • By July 1, 2026: 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, 2025. 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, 2026: Register full-time for Fall 2026 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 2026 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.

  
  

   

• Scholarship Terms
  • The Columbia CPS 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 colleges 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.
      *Please note: Freshmen will need to enroll an average of 15 credit hours for a BA and an average of 16 credit hours for BFA, BS and BMus each Fall and Spring semester to graduate within four years.
  • The attempted credit hour and four-year limits are not based on degree completion, and the same limits apply to students pursuing double majors.
  • Student must have been enrolled at a Chicago Public School during the Fall 2025 term or later for consideration.
  • Cumulative high school GPA at the time of admission will be used to determine the award amount. If a student increases their high school GPA in subsequent semesters, the award may be re-evaluated.
  • Recipients of the Columbia CPS Award are not eligible for the Chicago STAR Scholarship, Dean's Scholarship, Columbia Creatives Award, Columbia Senn Award, Columbia Curie Award, Columbia Dyett Award, Columbia Kelvyn Park Award, Columbia Lane Tech Award, Columbia ChiArts Award, Columbia Westinghouse Award, Columbia OneGoal Award, or Columbia Excellence Award.
  • Award is applied toward tuition only.
  • Funds are awarded during Fall and Spring semesters only.
  • Students who interrupt their enrollment or enroll less than full-time will forfeit any remaining award funds.
  • Award may be used toward a study abroad program through one of Columbia's student exchange programs, excluding Summer semesters. Please note: Recipients who enroll in an independent study abroad program not associated with Columbia 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.