Columbia Central

Derek Dean Memorial Scholarship

For continuing undergraduate and graduate students

The Derek Dean Memorial Scholarship was established to assist in defraying tuition costs for students studying within Columbia College Chicago's School of Film and Television who demonstrate academic merit and 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 or College-Wide Graduate 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 Derek Dean Memorial Scholarship application. There are two parts to the application:

  PART 1: ESSAY

  In a 500-word essay, describe your interest in your major and your academic goals, both for your time at Columbia and after you graduate.

  PART 2: 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 Derek Dean

  

  Derek Dean graduated from Columbia in 2017 with a degree in Cinema Art and Science. Derek's talent thru the lens of a camera or behind the scenes in an editing room were nothing short of brilliant. He had an eye for capturing the perfect moment and creating vivid pictures on a screen. Derek took his skills to a full time job with Pinnacle Advertising in Chicago after graduation, where his career thrived and his professional ambitions grew. Derek always spoke to family and friends about the impact of his time at Columbia, crediting Columbia with much of his professional success. On December 26th, 2018, Derek passed away in a tragic motorcycle accident. To honor his memory, his family established the Derek Dean Memorial Scholarship to enable other Cinema and Television students the opportunity to succeed at Columbia. Through this scholarship, Derek’s family hopes to share his passion with other talented and aspiring students just like Derek.

• Scholarship Terms
  
  

  • Application must be submitted by February 1, 2025 (11:59 pm) for review by the committee
  • Award amount 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
  • Recipients must maintain full-time enrollment during the 2025-26 academic year
  • Graduate students enrolled in a 0 credit thesis continuance course are not eligible to receive award. 
  • Recipients who graduate in Fall 2025 may be reviewed to 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 award in any year in which, at the sole discretion of the scholarship committee, suitable candidates cannot be found among applicants

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