Columbia Central

Columbia Internship Award

for continuing undergraduate and graduate students

The Columbia Internship Award was established to provide tuition funds for students completing an unpaid internship for academic credit.

• How to Apply

  Visit Internal Scholarships and click on APPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIPS to access the Columbia Internship Award application. Only complete scholarship applications submitted by the deadline will be reviewed by the award committee. 
  

  Students must submit the following materials to make a complete Columbia Internship Award application. There are five parts to the application:

  PART 1: RESUME

  Upload a one-page resume outlining career and academic highlights.

  Your resume must include your name and MyColumbia ID number in the upper right-hand corner of the first page. Please upload your resume in .pdf, .doc, or .docx format. 
  
  PART 2: ESSAY

  Upload a one-page essay outlining your career goals, prior experience, a list of internships you plan to apply to, and a brief description of how the Award would put an unpaid internship within reach.

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

  PART 3: WORK SAMPLES

  Upload 3 samples of work relevant to your internship goals. If you have a completed portfolio, select three of your strongest pieces. If you do not yet have a portfolio, your work samples can include video, audio, images and/or text generated in or outside of your classes. Good examples of work can include documentation of projects, planning documents, writing samples, or website or social media screen grabs.

  You must submit your sample in one of the following formats:

  • Images: .jpg, .png, .gif
  • Video: .mov, .wmv, .flv
  • Audio: .mp3
  • Documents: .doc, .docx, .pdf

  Please Note: Upload size limit is 50MB.

  PART 4: INTERNSHIP DOCUMENTATION (OPTIONAL)

  Upload any internship offer letters or other documentation you have already received. It is not required that you have been offered an internship before applying, but this will expedite the administration of the award should you be selected.

  Please upload your documentation in .pdf, .doc, or .docx format.

  PART 5: LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION (OPTIONAL)

  One letter of recommendation from a faculty/staff member or a supervisor is optional but recommended. Letters of recommendation can enhance your application, particularly if your GPA or credits fall short of the expectations outlined above. Note: Letters of recommendation may not be from an Internship and Career Advisor.

  Remember to contact your recommenders directly before providing their information on the application. 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.

   

  Access online applications through Internal Scholarships.

• Award Terms
  • Application must be submitted by the deadline for review by the committee
  • Amount of this one-semester award is up to $2,500, and is not renewable
  • Award is applied toward tuition 
  • Graduate students enrolled in a 0 credit hour thesis continuance course are not eligible to receive award.
  • Award amount may be reduced if students' financial aid awards that are restricted to paying tuition have met most of the tuition they were charged for the term
  • Spring 2025: Students registering their internships for 3 creditrs must be accepted for an internship by Febrary 3, 2025. Students registering for 1 credit must be accepted for an internship by March 3, 2025. Students who do not register an internship and provide an Internship Agreement to the Career Center by the appropriate deadline will forfeit the award. If you do not register for a 1 or 3 credit hour internship you will no longer be eligible to receive the scholarship disbursal.
  • Fall 2024: Students registering their internships for 3 credits must be accepted for an internship by September 9, 2024. Students registering for 1 credit must be accepted for an internship by October 11, 2024. Students who do not register an internship and provide an Internship Agreement to the Career Center by the appropraite deadline will forfeit the award. If you do not register for a 1 or 3 credit hour internship you will no longer be eligible to receive the scholarship disbursal.
  • Students must maintain enrollment during Summer 2024 for a 1 or 3-credit hour internship
  • Summer 2024: Students registering their internships for 3 credits must be accepted for an internship by June 6, 2024. Students registering for 1 credit must be acceptred for an internship by July 8, 2024. Students who do not register an internship and provide an Internship Agreement to the Career Center by the appropraite deadline will forfeit the award. If you do not register for a 1 or 3 credit hour internship you will no longer be eligible to receive the scholarship disbursal. 
  • Students are responsible for searching for and applying to internships, and recipients of the award are not guaranteed an internship. Students should work with an Internship and Career Advisor to ensure that their internship qualifies for academic credit, and may set up an appointment to do so through Handshake
  • Awards will be credited within 10 business days after students register their internship
  • Students must remain registered for credit to maintain the Columbia Internship Award. Students who withdraw from their internship course before the withdrawal deadline will relinquish the award
  • The rules 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 award in any year in which, at the sole discretion of the committee, suitable candidates cannot be found among applicants

IMPORTANT DATES

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