Columbia Central

Elizabeth Frances Calabrese Memorial Scholarship

for continuing undergraduate students

The Elizabeth Frances Calabrese Memorial Scholarship was established to assist in defraying tuition costs for deserving students studying within Columbia College Chicago's Schools of Business and Entrepreneurship and Communications and Cultures.

Deadline to Apply: February 01, 2025

• How to Apply

  Visit Internal Scholarships and click on APPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIPS to access the Elizabeth Frances Calabrese Memorial 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 Elizabeth Frances Calabrese Memorial Scholarship application. There are five parts to the application (Part 4 is OPTIONAL):
  
  

  PART 1: ESSAY

  In a 500-word essay, describe why you are passionate about your discipline, who or what influenced your choice, and what your career goals are.

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

  PART 2: RESUME

  Provide a resume that includes your work history, extracurricular activities, and completed internships.

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

  PART 3: REFERENCE

  Provide the name and email address of one faculty member who is familiar with your academic achievement or accomplishment in your major.
  

   

  OPTIONAL - PART 4: COSENT TO CONTACT SERVICES FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
  

  For students who meet the eligibility criteria to be considered for priority consideration for the scholarship to be given to a student with a disability and would like to be considered students must complete this section of the application.

  1. Do you have documentation of your disability on file with the Services with Disabilites (SSD) office? Yes/No

  2. If you have documentation of your disability on file with the Services for Students with Disabilites (SSD) Office, you may submit that disability doumentation by giving your consent in this section. 

  Do you give your consent (i) for the scholarship committee to contact the Services for Students with Disabilites office, and (ii) for the Services for Students with Disabilites office to release, share with or describe to the scholarship committee any medical or other records they deem necessary to consider you as a candidate for this scholarship? By anwsering "yes," you understand that the scholarship committee will only yse this information to make a determination as to your eligibility for the scholarship. The scholarship committee will not share this information with anyone outside of the committee without your permission.

  Do you give your consent? Yes/No

  3. If you do not have documentation on file with the SSD office, but would like to submit documentation to be considered with your scholarship application, you may submit it to the Services with Disabilites (SSD) office by February 1, 2025 (11:59pm). Please do not wait until February 1st to submit this documentation to ensure that you have completed all steps with the SSD Office. 

  To give your application full consideration, the scholarship committee may need to consult with the SSD office regarding any disability-related issues that arise in connection with your application.

  Do you give your consent for the scholarship committee to disclose to and receive information from the Services for Students with Disabilities office regarding any disabilty related concerns that may arise in connection with your application?

  Do you give your consent? Yes/No

  
  
  PART 5: FAFSA SUBMISSION SUMMARY
  
  

  A current FAFSA Submission Summary must be on file. To receive a FAFSA Submission Summary, students must complete the relevant year's financial aid application (FAFSA) by the scholarship application deadline.

   

  Access online applications through Internal Scholarships.

  
  

   

• About Elizabeth Frances Calabrese

  

  In celebration of 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and to honor the memory of his mother who passed away in 2019, longtime adjunct faculty member Dominic Calabrese established The Elizabeth Frances Calabrese Memorial Scholarship.

  Reflecting on his mother's life, Calabrese said, "As a child of the Great Depression, my mom never had a chance to attend college. I thought a fitting way to honor her memory would be to establish these awards in her name."

  Elizabeth Calabrese believed in giving. She donated generously to The Chicago Lighthouse, where Dominic served as the Senior Vice President of Public Relations for over 15 years. Through both scholarships, her legacy of helping those in need will continue.

  "When our lives draw to a close and we look back," said Calabrese, "there is enormous satisfaction in knowing that you gave of yourself to help others and honored your loved ones in a special way."

  Dom Calabrese

• Scholarship Terms
  • Application must be submitted by the deadline for review by the committee
  • Scholarship amount is up to $5,000
  • Scholarship is applied toward tuition only
  • Students’ scholarships that are applied toward tuition may not exceed the amount of their tuition costs
  • Recipients may be asked to attend a luncheon at the Publicity Club of Chicago. Recipients will be notified of the date once Columbia confirms that the luncheon will be held.
  • Recipients of the 2025-26 scholarship must maintain full-time, undergraduate enrollment during the 2025-26 academic year
  • Recipients must have submitted all outstanding documents to Columbia Central before the scholarship can be disbursed. Review your missing documents on your 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 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